Semiconductor memories for IT era

Abstract

Information technology (IT) emerged from the 1970s based on main-frame computers. Since then, PCs and the Internet world have drastically expanded the IT industry along with rapid growth of network and communication technology. For almost all platforms, semiconductor memories have been a key enabling technology. In the PC era, DRAM density increase has been driven by rapid expansion of applications with advanced operating systems. In the future, servers will continue driving high-density DRAM requirements, and the maximum memory size of servers will be one of the key performance parameters. 512 Mb DRAM will be widely available in 2002 and 16 Gb DRAM is expected to appear within the next 10 years. Performance of semiconductor memories will be driven by graphics applications and network systems. 1 Gb/s/pin DRAM will be popular in 2002 and 2 Gb/s/pin in 2004 for high-end graphics applications. Random-access times in the range of 5 ns for SRAM and 20 ns for DRAM range and 1 Gb/s/pin DRAM will be available in 2002, and even faster (frequency, latency) memories will be required for high-end network systems such as OC-768-based switches and routers and beyond. Mobile platforms, especially 3 G phones and PDAs, are driving low-voltage low-power memories. Standby power of DRAM and pseudo-SRAM has been reduced drastically over the last 2 years. 1.8 V DRAM will be in volume production in 2002 and 1.0 V DRAM is expected in 2005 for longer battery life and moving-picture capability of mobile applications. The small-form-factor requirement of mobile phones and consumer applications such as PDA, and DSC will expedite various multi-chip-package solutions such as SRAM+Flash, DRAM+Flash, and SRAM+DRAM+Flash. Recent digital convergence and the rapid reduction of $/MB of mass storage flash memory increased the usage of flash memory in various mobile and consumer applications. Semiconductor memory will continue to follow Moore's Law for at least the next 10 years and will be lead by mass storage flash memory technology. Memory requirement of various IT platforms will continue to increase the trend of MB/system and MB/person.