Thanks for the (MRAM) memories

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Now, a development in memory technology promises to change the rules. Freescale Semiconductor has begun volume production of magnetoresistive RAM (MRAM). MRAMs store data as magnetic states rather than charges. With this approach, the state doesn't “leak” away. There is no discernible degradation with time, and retaining stored information requires no power. The speed of MRAMs compares favorably with that of SRAMs and other fast devices.

The MRAM uses magnetic polarization rather than electric charges to store information. Courtesy of Freescale Semiconductor.

The company claims that MRAM technology will usher in an era of electronic products offering advantages in size, cost, power consumption, and product performance. Although their current modest capacity prevents MRAMs from supplanting bulk-storage alternatives for the moment, their nonvolatility and minimum heat dissipation will encourage incorporation into high-volume products, such as new kinds of smart cards, that require high data integrity and permit little tolerance for manufacturing defects. The high volume of such products will tend to favor inspection over more traditional manufacturing test.

The devices' decreased power consumption will reduce heat dissipation at the board level. Ironically, the resulting reduced need for elaborate cooling mechanisms such as heat sinks and fans could actually increase access to portions of the circuit, facilitating some conventional test steps.

As MRAM capacity increases, test equipment manufacturers will incorporate them into the test equipment itself. Their reduced power consumption will permit systems to include more memory, permitting more complex test patterns at both in-circuit and functional test levels. Battery-powered test equipment will become more practical for applications such as field testing, testing on the manufacturing floor, and depot deployment.