Product category:
Memory Devices and Modules
News Release from: Renesas Technology Europe | Subject: R1LV3216R and R1WV6416R LPSRAMs
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 26 March 2008
Low-power SRAMs expand to 64Mbit density
High-capacity low-power SRAMs are increasingly being used as an alternative to SDRAM, which undergoes frequent generational changes.
Renesas Technology has developed a family of low-power SRAM devices including a 64Mbit device that is claimed to be the industry's highest capacity to date The R1LV3216R Series of 32Mbit devices will begin sampling in Japan during April 2008, to be followed in July 2008 by the R1WV6416R Series of 64Mbit SRAMs
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 15 Apr 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
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These two new series will further extend Renesas Technology's lineup of advanced LPSRAM products employing exclusive memory cell technology to achieve smaller chip sizes and soft error free.
They will be available in different packages and specifications, such as access time, for a total of twelve 64Mbit products and eight 32Mbit products to meet a wide range of requirements in fields including industry, office equipment, consumer electronics, automotive systems, and communications equipment.
The main features of the R1WV6416R Series and R1LV3216R Series are summarised below.
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The new 64Mbit low-power SRAM products each comprise a stack of two compact 32Mbit Advanced LPSRAM chips in a single package, resulting in the highest capacity in the industry.
They meet demand for larger-capacity low-power SRAM for high-performance systems and meet reduced space requirements in applications that previously would have required multiple low-power SRAM devices.
To accommodate a variety of applications, these two new series are being offered in several different packages: TSOP I (48-pin), uTSOP (52-pin), and for 64Mbit products FBGA (48-ball).
The TSOP I and uTSOP packages have the same dimensions as those of previous 16Mbit products, and the ball layout of the FBGA package is signal pin compatible.
This enables customers to increase memory capacity while continuing to use their existing layout designs.
Advanced LPSRAM uses a stacked capacitor memory cell configuration, an approach with a proven track record in DRAM cells.
It virtually eliminates soft errors caused by alpha radiation or high-energy neutron radiation, which can be a problem with ultrafine SRAM.
In addition, this memory cell configuration avoids the unintended formation of a parasitic thyristor, which can generate spurious current flows and cause latchups.
Elimination of soft errors and latchups provides excellent reliability.
Low-power SRAM products from Renesas Technology are used in a wide range of applications in fields such as industrial equipment, office equipment, consumer electronics, automotive systems and communications equipment.
They are used for battery-powered data backup, as work memory for MCUs, and as backup memory for image data.
As systems attain higher levels of performance, demand is increasing for higher-capacity low-power SRAM products.
Synchronous DRAM (SDRAM) was previously the standard choice as work memory for MCUs or backup memory for image data in applications such as industrial or automotive systems.
Recently high-capacity low-power SRAM is increasingly being adopted for such applications as an alternative to SDRAM, which undergoes frequent generational changes.
Ultrafine fabrication processes are employed to increase SRAM storage capacity, but this tends to be accompanied by an increase in the soft error rate.
This problem occurs because the capacitance of the memory nodes is reduced, making them more susceptible to the generation of spurious electrical charges caused by alpha radiation or high-energy neutron radiation penetrating the silicon substrate.
This raises the rate of data loss by the memory nodes and must be dealt with using separate measures.
In response, Renesas Technology began employing a stacked capacitor configuration, which has a proven track record in DRAM cells, for the memory nodes to prevent reduced capacitance at the ultrafine scale.
This enabled the development of Advanced LPSRAM that is soft error free.
Advanced LPSRAM products currently in mass production include 4 and 16Mbit products, as well as 32Mbit products comprising two 16Mbit chips stacked in a single package.
The two new series respond to demand for increased capacity with compact single-chip 32Mbit products and 64Mbit products comprising two 32Mbit chips stacked in a single package.
The R1WV6416R Series of 64Mbit Advanced LPSRAM products and the R1LV3216R Series of 32Mbit Advanced LPSRAM products are available with access times of 55 or 70ns, and in TSOP I (48-pin), uTSOP (52-pin), or (for 64Mbit products) FBGA (48-ball) packages.
The package of the TSOP I (48-pin) products is identical to that of current 16Mbit products, and the package of the uTSOP (52-pin) is identical to that of current 8, 16 and 32Mbit products.
FBGA (48-ball) products have a ball layout that is backward compatible with that of current 4, 8, 16 and 32Mbit products.
This enables customers to increase memory capacity while continuing to use their existing layout designs.
With the addition of the two new series, Renesas Technology's low-power SRAM lineup will comprise a total of over 100 versions in eight capacities.
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