From Fujitsu to RAMXEED, the new generation of FeRAM meets the needs of edge intelligence for high-reliability and latency-free data storage

Driven by the surge in computing power demand in large AI models and edge intelligence, the market demand for high-performance storage solutions is also increasing. Based on this forecast, the global memory market sales are expected to grow by 61.3% to $150 billion in 2024. In order to reduce power consumption in the cloud and edge, new high-performance and non-volatile memories are ushering in a period of rapid market growth, such as ferroelectric memory FeRAM and ReRAM, as well as magnetic memory MRAM, resistive memory ReRAM, etc.

Global memory market size and growth rate from 2020 to 2024

As one of the two major global suppliers of FeRAM products, Fujitsu Semiconductor (soon to be renamed RAMXEED) focuses only on the research and development of high-performance memory FeRAM and ReRAM, as well as the development of customized products based on FeRAM and ReRAM. "Our products are suitable for a variety of applications from individuals to enterprises, from private to public, and can be widely used in important basic industries such as automotive electronics, industrial control, meters, and hearing aids."

Recently, Feng Yixin, general manager of Fujitsu Semiconductor Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., shared at the 12th China Hard Technology Industry Chain Innovation Trend Summit and Hundred Media Forum hosted by E-Dimensional Think Tank, "Fujitsu Group has been engaged in FeRAM business for more than 20 years. Our FeRAM products are well received by users around the world, and we have shipped a total of 4.4 billion pieces so far."

Feng Yixin, General Manager of RAMXEED (formerly Fujitsu Semiconductor)

Decoding FeRAM and ReRAM, exploring the ultimate performance of storage technology

FeRAM and ReRAM represent two important innovations in the field of non-volatile memory technology, designed to provide higher performance and smaller size than traditional storage solutions such as SRAM, DRAM and Flash. With the rapid expansion of the portable system market over the past decade, the semiconductor industry has become increasingly interested in large-capacity non-volatile memory (NVM) technology. The market demand for higher efficiency, faster memory access speed and lower power consumption continues to drive the advancement of NVM technology. It is predicted that the global non-volatile memory market size will expand to US$164.79 billion by 2029, based on approximately US$94.52 billion in 2024, and will continue to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 11.76%.

FeRAM relies on the unique properties of ferroelectric materials for data storage. This type of memory is known for its ultra-fast read and write speeds, excellent write endurance, and low power consumption. FeRAM's read and write speeds are in nanoseconds, which is far faster than NOR flash and EEPROM; the number of read and write times is as high as 1014 and 1013, which is equivalent to unlimited times in a sense, while EEPROM and NOR Flash generally have a limited number of times. Based on these two characteristics, FeRAM has an irreplaceable absolute advantage in application scenarios such as real-time writing, power-off protection, and fast non-volatile storage that requires a relatively high number of read and write times (such as smart cards, metering equipment, and event data recorders in cars). At the same time, FeRAM can also replace EEPROM, SARM, and MRAM.

In contrast, ReRAM uses the change in the resistance state of materials to store information, adjusting the resistance characteristics of specific materials (such as hafnium oxide) through electric current. In terms of function, ReRAM is similar to EEPROM specifications, but with larger memory capacity, lower read power consumption, and smaller size, which is very suitable for small battery-powered wearable devices such as hearing aids. In recent years, ReRAM has received great attention worldwide. Although ReRAM technology has appeared in the roadmaps of some chip manufacturers, and some companies have begun to deploy ReRAM-related products and services, it is still necessary to overcome certain technical and market challenges to achieve large-scale commercial use. "Industry insiders believe that NOR Flash will reach a bottleneck in the next generation of technology. In the future, ReRAM can replace NOR Flash, but the current maximum capacity of ReRAM in mass production is 12Mb. To replace NOR Flash, the capacity of ReRAM needs to reach 16Mbit to 1Gb." Feng Yixin said.

Application positioning of Fujitsu FeRAM/ReRAM

Enabling multiple popular industry applications, smart storage has been widely implemented

Under the surging tide of digital transformation, innovation in storage technology has undoubtedly become the core force driving various industries forward. As emerging new non-volatile storage solutions, FeRAM and ReRAM have demonstrated huge potential in a wide range of application scenarios with their unique advantages. Whether in smart grids and intelligent transportation systems that are related to the national economy and people's livelihood, or in the fields of industrial automation, medical health, entertainment technology, and cloud computing infrastructure, or in smart tags and wearable devices that can be seen everywhere in daily life, FeRAM and ReRAM play a vital role.

Applications of Fujitsu FeRAM and ReRAM products

1. From power metering to solar storage and charging, FeRAM stores data for power applications

"Smart grids, including charging piles and photovoltaic inverters, are industries that have a relatively high demand for new generation storage in recent years. We have been deeply involved in the mainland for more than 20 years, and one of the important sources of FeRAM sales is smart grids. Take electricity meters as an example. Fujitsu has been involved in the market since the development of smart meters." Feng Yixin said. In addition, relay protection devices other than electricity meters also have certain requirements for storage, mainly used to record situations where they fail to work properly and the order of events. This application requires the memory to be able to write in real time at high speed, and FeRAM is undoubtedly the best choice.

"Since 2020, the demand for FeRAM in photovoltaics, inverters, and energy storage systems has grown significantly. In photovoltaic power generation systems, direct current (DC) needs to be converted into alternating current (AC). The inverter plays an important role in this process. It needs to record fault information and current and voltage status every second or every millisecond. Similarly, after converting electricity into AC, the battery management system (BMS) in the energy storage system also needs to record relevant data. Its working principle is the same as that of the BMS in new energy vehicles. FeRAM has demonstrated significant advantages in these applications with its high-speed read and write capabilities and excellent reliability." Feng Yixin added.

Application of FeRAM in Smart Grid

2. Magnetic rotary encoder storage is favored, and passive (battery-free) design becomes a trend

Another major application of FeRAM is factory automation (FA). According to Feng Yixin, Schneider, Siemens, Delta in Taiwan, China, well-known CNC machine tool suppliers in mainland China, and the top five FA suppliers in China are all Fujitsu customers. The factory automation departments of these manufacturers use very high-end storage solutions, including MRAM, NVSRAM and other memories in addition to FeRAM. In recent years, the application of FeRAM in the field of rotary encoders has increased. "Encoders are divided into two types: optical and magnetic. In the field of factory automation control and new energy vehicles, the development of magnetic rotary encoders is currently a trend. However, since batteries are used inside magnetic encoders, batteries are strictly controlled in Europe and other places. Therefore, in order to realize the design of battery-free encoders, FeRAM with high-speed writing, read and write durability, ultra-low power consumption and built-in binary counters is needed to play a key role." Feng Yixin said.

Normally, after the servo drive motor is powered off, it may collide due to unpredictable external factors, causing the position of the motor when it restarts to deviate from the position before the power failure. In this case, how to retrieve the exact position when restarting becomes a serious problem. In order to solve this problem, the IC-Haus main control chip is usually used, combined with Post's Wiegand coil and FeRAM with binary counting function. "When external force majeure causes the motor to rotate, the Wiegand coil can generate weak electrical energy, and the low-power FeRAM can work under weak current conditions, using the built-in binary counter to record the number of rotations of the motor. In this way, when the motor is powered on again, it can accurately retrieve the previous position." Feng Yixin pointed out.

In Europe and Germany, encoder technology is developing rapidly. Germany's iC-House, SEW, Fraba, Japan's Nikon, Mitsubishi Electric, Tamagawa Seiki, etc. are all well-known suppliers of rotary encoders, and they are all actively developing related products. "Traditional magnetic encoders are usually equipped with batteries, but in Europe, products with batteries cannot be transported by air, and can only be shipped by sea, and the management of batteries is extremely strict. In view of this, the industry is seeking ways to remove batteries, because batteries need to be replaced during their service life, which not only increases maintenance costs, but also means high labor costs for companies located in remote areas. Therefore, in the future, rotary encoders need to be passive (battery-free), and FeRAM with binary counters is currently the only choice." Feng Yixin introduced that in recent years, Delta in Taiwan, China, and the first and second suppliers of encoders in mainland China have already incorporated Fujitsu's FeRAM products with binary counters into their own products, and plan to start mass production next year. In general, this battery-free design meets future development needs.