In the cognitive system of artificial intelligence, the most important part is to make the machine think as human as possible through the techniques of neural network and deep learning. In the world of machines, there are only 0 and 1, which requires massive data to help the machine. judgment. The main factor that hindered the development of artificial intelligence in the past was the processing power of the CPU. With the explosive growth of data, traditional storage solutions can not only meet the needs of high-speed computing, but also can not afford the cost of long-term data retention, which has prompted many Companies are beginning to look for new storage solutions.
Throughout the storage market in 2017, the annual scale reached 95 billion US dollars, the supply shortage situation promoted the growth of memory chip revenue by 64%, Samsung also in the semiconductor market in 2017 for the first time surpassed Intel to the first throne, visible storage Market position is becoming more and more important. Almost all global storage vendors are developing small-volume, large-storage, low-power storage devices to meet the storage needs of the artificial intelligence era. Recently, Crossbar, an inventor of ReRAM storage technology, and Sylvain Dubois, vice president of strategic marketing and business development, introduced the latest developments of Crossbar to reporters.
Sylvain Dubois, Vice President, Strategic Marketing and Business Development, Crossbar
ReRAM: 200W erasing speed subverts the current storage method
In the field of consumer electronics, mobile phones and computer users must be entangled in the size and price of storage before purchasing products. Almost all electronic products are more expensive and more expensive, which makes it difficult for users to achieve large storage. Low budget target for the total price. In the process of deep learning and reasoning of artificial intelligence, the erasing speed of memory determines the computing speed of the neural network, which determines the speed of the system. The ReRAM technology developed by Crossbar is a new technology in the field of non-volatile memory. Make up for the deficiencies of DRAM and Flash. According to Sylvain Dubois, “ReRAM technology uses a silicon-based conversion material as a host for forming metal conductive filaments. When a voltage is applied between two electrodes, nanoscale conductive filaments are formed. The advantage of metal conductive filaments is that High density, cross-line structure, process nodes can evolve to less than 10nm; 3D stacking can be performed on the structure to achieve multiple terabytes of storage capacity on a single chip."
ReRAM technology is CMOS compatible, thus allowing logic and memory to be integrated on the same single chip, even on the most advanced process. In other words, ReRAM technology can use the originally vacant space on the CPU chip to fill the memory, thereby increasing the storage space inside the CPU, so that more data can exist inside the chip. According to the current storage mode, the CPU needs external storage. When performing data analysis, the CPU must first transfer external data to the internal cache and then perform data processing. With ReRAM storage technology, the internal storage space of the CPU can be increased by 256 GB or more. More, the CPU can directly analyze the internal data, independent of the bus width, because the data is not easily stolen inside the CPU, and the security is higher; ReRAM technology is a non-volatile memory technology that can work under extremely low energy conditions. Under the condition of power-off, energy consumption is 100 times lower than that of independent flash memory.
According to Sylvain Dubois, "ReRM storage technology can achieve terabyte storage on a single chip, 40 times higher density than DRAM, and has the highest performance and reliability. The Demo display on CES can reach 200W. With erasing speed and ReRAM technology without error correction, Crossbar can develop products with customers, and the erasing speed can be higher."
High reliability for high speed data processing
Artificial intelligence is inseparable from big data, and big data processing inevitably generates heat. Generally, as the temperature increases, the performance of the processor will drop drastically. The average person can get a deep experience from the use of computers and mobile phones. Therefore, the memory Stability at high temperatures is critical to data center operations and whether artificial intelligence algorithms can complete calculations on time. Regarding the stability of ReRAM technology, Sylvain Dubois explained, "Because the mechanism of resistive switching is based on electric field, ReRAM memory cells are very stable and are not compromised over the temperature range of -40 ° C to 125 ° C. It can reach 2 million write times and data can be stored for 10 years at 85 ° C. The data retention period of Flash is also 10 years, but there is read and write interference. ReRAM technology is -40 ° C ~ 125 ° C Within the temperature range, there is no interference from reading and writing to other areas, and the stability is higher."
IP authorization mode, vying to be the arm of the storage field
Customers using ReRAM technology generally fall into two categories. One is a SoC vendor that needs to add storage space to its own chip in conjunction with ReRAM technology, and the other is a vendor that independently designs memory. According to Sylvain Dubois, “Crossbar adopts the IP licensing model. ReRAM technology can be regarded as the IP architecture in the storage field. For companies with strong design capabilities, authorization is required for authorization. For data centers, third-party design products need to be sought for cooperation. product."
There are two types of CMOS and memory foundries, one is dedicated to memory foundries, such as: Toshiba, Samsung, Yangtze River storage; one is CMOS foundry, such as: TSMC, SMIC. Because ReRAM technology is compatible with CMOS technology, it can be produced in two foundries, and has already cooperated with SMIC in the 40nm process. Sylvain Dubois pointed out that "Our products are expected to be mass-produced in the middle of 2018, and research and development is also underway at 28nm, 14nm, and below 10nm. Domestic data centers such as BAT and Amazon and Google abroad. strong interest."
The author believes that if ReRAM technology is widely adopted, the cost performance of consumer electronics such as computers and mobile phones can be greatly improved, and Crossbar is expected to become the "arm" in the storage field. And the advantage of doing IP licensing is that Crossbar is a partner with other memory design companies and SoC vendors, not competitors, making it easier to enter the market.
At the end of the interview, the reporter also asked Sylvain Dubois to evaluate his company and products. He said, “We have done in-depth research in the field of ReRAM technology. At present, the number of patent applications has reached 310, and 160. We hope to cooperate with more customers in the future. To achieve greater breakthroughs in storage technology, ReRAM technology can be widely used in artificial intelligence, IoT, big data, mobile computing, consumer electronics, automotive, industrial and other fields."
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