Tezzaron Semiconductor announces a prototype memory device with record-breaking speed: 1.3 nanosecond (ns) latency, 1 ns cycle time, and a throughput of 2 Gigabits/sec on each pin
Although Tezzaron is better known for 3D semiconductor technology, it also develops memory innovations. PSiRAM™ development surged to the forefront last year with the sudden availability of a 90-nanometer manufacturing run. This opportunity, arranged by IP supplier Virtual Silicon Technologies, was a perfect fit for a PSiRAM™ prototype.
The manufacturing opportunity dictated an extremely tight schedule. Tezzaron’s engineers tackled the challenge at a breakneck pace, putting in 20-hour days, sleeping in a spare office, and working through weekends and the Christmas holidays. “It was a super-human achievement,” says Tezzaron’s CTO, Robert Patti. “72 million transistors and more than 250 custom layouts – no standard cells – and it went from concept to tape-out in only seven weeks. And it succeeded in first-pass silicon! These guys are truly incredible.”
Team leader Mark Hilbert acknowledged Virtual Silicon’s valuable assistance with layout verification, and gave credit to Cadence Design Systems tools as well: “We have years of experience with these tools; the Cadence® custom design flow was a big factor. The tool capabilities saved us a lot of time, especially with a design of this complexity.”
The PSiRAM™ prototype was built in a 90-nanometer facility, producing memory cells measuring only 0.59 square microns each. Because PSiRAM™ uses a standard CMOS logic process, it is ideal for SoC (System on Chip) processing and development; Tezzaron intends to license PSiRAM™ technology for use in SoC applications.
Tezzaron plans full production of PSiRAM™ chips next year. A 130-nanometer version is slated for the first half of 2004, followed by a 90-nanometer version late in the year.
Tezzaron Semiconductor is a privately funded corporation with headquarters in Naperville, Illinois, and a processing subsidiary in Singapore. For more information, visit www.tezzaron.com.
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