SBIR Phase I: Novel Material for Giant Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory (GMRAM)

这个第一阶段的小企业创新研究项目将开发一种用于巨磁阻随机存取存储器（GMRAM）的新材料。资金将用于材料研究和开发，以及制造GMRAM电池的原型阵列。存储单元的工作方式类似于采用各向异性磁阻（AMR）材料的存储器，尽管所提出的材料由于巨磁阻（GMR）效应将具有更高的信号。该提议者先前的研究已经确定了在AMR存储模式中使用标准GMR夹层材料的问题。由标准GMRAM材料制成的GMRAM位具有低写入阈值，并且在重复循环和干扰时失败。提出的新材料将克服这些限制，并将产生非常稳定，强大的记忆细胞。简单的单元结构和快速的读写时间应该使这种类型的存储器能够与商业非易失性存储器以及个人计算机主存储器竞争。作为其他非易失性存储器技术的替代品，GMRAM技术在未来具有重要的商业意义，并有望扩展到个人计算机的主存储器。据估计，潜在的市场规模相当大。这项工作将有助于确保美国在先进磁存储器研究和开发的前沿继续保持领先地位。＊＊＊

*** 96-60937 Everitt This Phase I Small Business Innovation Research project will develop a new material for giant magnetoresistive random access memory (GMRAM). Funding will be used for materials research and development, as well as fabrication of prototype arrays of GMRAM cells. The memory cells will operate in a manner similar to memories that employ anisotropic magnetoresistive (AMR) material, although the proposed material will have much higher signal due to the giant magnetoresistive (GMR) effect. Prior research by this proposer has identified problems with using standard GMR sandwich material for use in the AMR memory mode. GMRAM bits fabricated from standard GMR material have low write thresholds and fail upon repeated cycling and disturbs. The proposed novel material will overcome these limitations, and should result in very stable, robust memory cells. The simple cell architecture and fast read and write times should enable this type of memory to compete with commercial nonvolatile memories, as well as personal computer main memories. GMRAM technology has the potential to be of major commercial significance in the future as a replacement for other nonvolatile memory technologies, and may be expected to extend to main memories in personal computers. The potential market size is estimated to be quite large. This work will help to ensure continued U.S. leadership at the cutting edge of advanced magnetic memory research and development. ***