Table 2.
Summary of primary contenders for MRAM, FeRAM, STT-RAM, and PCM technologies
| Features | FeRAM | MRAM | STT-RAM | PCM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cell size (F2) |
Large, approximately 40 to 20 |
Large, approximately 25 |
Small, approximately 6 to 20 |
Small, approximately 8 |
| Storage mechanism |
Permanent polarization of a ferroelectric material (PZT or SBT) |
Permanent magnetization of a ferromagnetic material in a MTJ |
Spin-polarized current applies torque on the magnetic moment |
Amorphous/polycrystal phases of chalcogenide alloy |
| Read time (ns) |
20 to 80 |
3 to 20 |
2 to 20 |
20 to 50 |
| Write/erase time (ns) |
50/50 |
3 to 20 |
2 to 20 |
20/30 |
| Endurance |
1012 |
>1015 |
>1016 |
1012 |
| Write power |
Mid |
Mid to high |
Low |
Low |
| Nonvolatility |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Maturity |
Limited production |
Test chips |
Test chips |
Test chips |
| Applications | Low density | Low density | High density | High density |