• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.1-9
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• 2020

In this paper, we propose Dynamic Rank Subsetting (DRAS) technique that enhances the energy-efficiency and the performance of memory system through the data compression. The goal of this technique is to enable a partial chip access by storing data in a compressed format within a subset of DRAM chips. To this end, a memory rank is dynamically configured to two independent sub-ranks. When writing a data block, it is compressed with a data compression algorithm and stored in one of the two sub-ranks. To service a memory request for the compressed data, only a sub-rank is accessed, whereas, for a memory request for the uncompressed data, two sub-ranks are accessed as done in the conventional memory systems. Since DRAS technique requires minimal hardware modification, it can be used in the conventional memory systems with low hardware overheads. Through experimental evaluation with a memory simulator, we show that the proposed technique improves the performance of the memory system by 12% on average and reduces the power consumption of memory system by 24% on average.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics and Information Engineers
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.78-87
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• 2013

NAND flash memory has been widely used as a storage medium in mobile devices, PCs, and workstations due to its advantages such as low power consumption, high performance, and random accessability compared to a hard disk drive. However, NAND flash cannot support in-place update so that it is mandatory to erase the entire block before overwriting the corresponding page. In order to overcome this drawback, flash storages need a software support, named Flash Translation Layer. However, as the high performance mass NAND flash memory is getting widely used, the size of mapping tables is increasing more than the limited DRAM size. In this paper, we propose an adaptive mapping information caching algorithm based on page mapping to solve this DRAM space shortage problem. Our algorithm uses a mapping information caching scheme which minimize the flash memory access frequency based on the analysis of several workloads. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can increase the performance by up to 70% comparing with the previous mapping information caching algorithm.

• Proceedings of the Korean Information Science Society Conference
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• 2001.10c
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• pp.58-60
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• 2001

제한된 전력 원을 사용하는 휴대용기기의 대중화에 따라 제한된 전력 원을 보다 효율적으로 사용할 수 있게 하는 저 전력에 대한 연구가 활발히 진행 중에 있다. 특히 휴대용 기기의 성능이 더욱더 고성능화 됨에 따라 휴대용 기기에도 SRAM, DRAM, SDRAM등의 각종 메모리 시스템이 사용되기 시작하였다. 또한 이러한 메모리 시스템은 전체 시스템에 있어서 주요한 전력소모 요인이 되었다 따라서 본 논문에서는 이러한 메모리 장치에 대한 전력 소모 특성을 분석 수행하였으며 분석 수행 방법에 있어서 기존의 방법과는 다르게 Address, Data, 제어신호등에 따른 에너지 소모 특성을 분석함으로서 기존의 연구와는 다르게 H/W차원뿐 아니라 더 상위레벨의 S/W차원가지의 에너지 소모 절감 기법 개발을 위한 흑은 저 전력 S/W 제작을 위한 자료로서 사용될 수 있는 기초 자료를 제공하였다.

• JSTS:Journal of Semiconductor Technology and Science
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.197-204
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• 2002

DRAM, SRAM, and FLASH memory are three major memory devices currently used in most electronic applications. But, they have very distinct attributes, therefore, each memory could be used only for limited applications. MRAM (Magneto-resistive Random Access Memory) is a promising candidate for a universal memory that meets all application needs with non-volatile, fast operational speed, and low power consumption. The simplest architecture of MRAM cell is a series of MTJ (Magnetic Tunnel Junction) as a data storage part and MOS transistor as a data selection part. To be a commercially competitive memory device, scalability is an important factor as well. This paper is testing the actual electrical parameters and the scaling factors to limit MRAM technology in the semiconductor based memory device by an actual integration of MRAM core cell. Electrical tuning of MOS/MTJ, and control of resistance are important factors for data sensing, and control of magnetic switching for data writing.

• Proceedings of the Korea Information Processing Society Conference
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• 2013.05a
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• pp.21-23
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• 2013

Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) using CMOS technology has many advantages. It does not need to refresh every certain time, as a result, the speed of SRAM is faster than Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM). This is the reason why SRAM is widely used in almost processors and system on chips (SoC) which require high processing speed. Two basic operations of SRAM are read and write. We consider two basic factors, including the accuracy of read and write operations and the speed of these operations. In our paper, we propose the read and write assist circuits for SRAM. By adding a power control circuit in SRAM, the write operation performed successfully with low error ratio. Moreover, the value in memory cells can be read correctly using the proposed pre-charge method.

• ETRI Journal
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.759-773
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• 2018

Uncore components such as on-chip memory systems and on-chip interconnects consume a large amount of energy in emerging embedded applications. Few studies have focused on next-generation analytical models for future chip-multiprocessors (CMPs) that simultaneously consider the impacts of the power consumption of core and uncore components. In this paper, we propose a convex-optimization approach to design heterogeneous uncore architectures for embedded CMPs. Our convex approach optimizes the number and placement of memory banks with different technologies on the memory layer. In parallel with hybrid memory architecting, optimizing the number and placement of through silicon vias as a viable solution in building three-dimensional (3D) CMPs is another important target of the proposed approach. Experimental results show that the proposed method outperforms 3D CMP designs with hybrid and traditional memory architectures in terms of both energy delay products (EDPs) and performance parameters. The proposed method improves the EDPs by an average of about 43% compared with SRAM design. In addition, it improves the throughput by about 7% compared with dynamic RAM (DRAM) design.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2011.05a
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• pp.28.2-28.2
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• 2011

Resistance random access memory (ReRAM) is a promising candidate for next-generation nonvolatile memory because of its advantageous qualities such as simple structure, superior scalability, fast switching speed, low-power operation, and nondestructive readout. We investigated the resistive switching behavior of tantalum oxide that has been widely used in dynamic random access memories (DRAM) in the present semiconductor industry. As a result, it possesses full compatibility with the entrenched complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor processes. According to previous studies, TiN is a good oxygen reservoir. The TiN top electrode possesses the specific properties to control and modulate oxygen ion reproductively, which results in excellent resistive switching characteristics. This study presents fully room temperature fabricated the TiN/$TaO_x$/Pt devices and their electrical properties for nonvolatile memory application. In addition, we investigated the TiN electrode dependence of the electrical properties in $TaO_x$ memory devices. The devices exhibited a low operation voltage of 0.6 V as well as good endurance up to $10^5$ cycles. Moreover, the benefits of high devise yield multilevel storage possibility make them promising in the next generation nonvolatile memory applications.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Telematics and Electronics C
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• v.36C no.7
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• pp.10-16
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• 1999

This paper describes a low voltage swing bus driver using FCSR(Feedback Control Swing voltage Reduction) which can control bus swing voltage within a few hundred of mV. It is proposed to reduce power consumption in On-chip interface, especially for MDL(Merged DRAM Logic) architecture wihich has wide and large capacitance bus. FCSR operates on differential signal dual-line bus and on precharged bus with block controlling fuction. We modeled driver and bus to scale driver size automatically when bus environment is variant. We also modeled coupling capacitance noise(crosstalk) of neighborhood lines which operate on odd mode with parallel current source to analysis crosstalk effect in the victim-line according as voltage transition in the aggressor-line and environment in the victim-line. We built a test chip which was designed to swing 600mV in bus, shows 70Mhz operation at 3.3V, using Hyundai 0.8um CMOS technology. FCSR operate with 250Mhz at 3.3V by Hspice simulation.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2012.02a
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• pp.408-408
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• 2012

It is well known that magnetic random access memory (MRAM) is nonvolatile memory devices using ferromagnetic materials. MRAM has the merits such as fast access time, unlimited read/write endurance and nonvolatility. Although DRAM has many advantages containing high storage density, fast access time and low power consumption, it becomes volatile when the power is turned off. Owing to the attractive advantages of MRAM, MRAM is being spotlighted as an alternative device in the future. MRAM consists of magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) stack and complementary metal- oxide semiconductor (CMOS). MTJ stacks are composed of various magnetic materials. FePt thin films are used as a pinned layer of MTJ stack. Up to date, an inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching (ICPRIE) method of MTJ stacks showed better results in terms of etch rate and etch profile than any other methods such as ion milling, chemical assisted ion etching (CAIE), reactive ion etching (RIE). In order to improve etch profiles without redepositon, a better etching process of MTJ stack needs to be developed by using different etch gases and etch parameters. In this research, influences of $O_2$ gas on the etching characteristics of FePt thin films were investigated. FePt thin films were etched using ICPRIE in $CH_4/O_2/Ar$ gas mix. The etch rate and the etch selectivity were investigated in various $O_2$ concentrations. The etch profiles were studied in varying etch parameters such as coil rf power, dc-bias voltage, and gas pressure. TiN was employed as a hard mask. For observation etch profiles, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) was used.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2009.06a
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• pp.74-74
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• 2009

Titanium nitride has been used as hardmask for semiconductor process, capacitor of MIM type and diffusion barrier of DRAM, due to it's low resistivity, thermodynamic stability and diffusion coefficient. Characteristics of the TiN film are high intensity and chemical stability. The TiN film also has compatibility with high-k material. This study is an experimental test for better condition of TiN film etching process. The etch rate of TiN film was investigated about etching in $BCl_3/Ar/O_2$ plasma using the inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etching system. The base condition were 4 sccm $BCl_3$ /16 sccm Ar mixed gas and 500 W the RF power, -50 V the DC bias voltage, 10 mTorr the chamber pressure and $40\;^{\circ}C$ the substrate temperature. We added $O_2$ gas to give affect etch rate because $O_2$ reacts with photoresist easily. We had changed $O_2$ gas flow rate from 2 sccm to 8 sccm, the RF power from 500 W to 800 W, the DC bias voltage from -50 V to -200 V, the chamber pressure from 5 mTorr to 20 mTorr and the substrate temperature from $20\;^{\circ}C$ to $80\;^{\circ}C$.