New Nonvolatile Memory Winners Emerge

As semiconductor process nodes continue to shrink, traditional flash memory faces increasing challenges in embedded applications, prompting the emergence of new nonvolatile memory (NVM) technologies. ... Read original →

As process nodes shrink below 3nm, embedded flash’s scaling limits have forced a strategic pivot toward MRAM and RRAM—not as alternatives but as architectural necessities. TSMC (Taiwan, China), Samsung, and GlobalFoundries are embedding MRAM into automotive MCUs, leveraging its endurance and speed for real-time control systems, while UMC and GF target RRAM’s cost efficiency in PMICs for IoT. This shift triggers cascading effects: EDA vendors like Synopsys must overhaul layout and verification flows for novel memory cells. Geopolitically, U.S. export controls on EUV and advanced etch tools from Lam Research raise production barriers, especially for non-U.S. foundries. Within 18 months, MRAM will likely displace SRAM in edge AI cache hierarchies, and RRAM will scale in wearables—but PCRAM, abandoned by major fabs, faces obsolescence due to lack of FinFET integration pathways.