3/10/2010

Conventional 6T SRAM is headed for roadblocks at the 22nm node or perhaps even earlier. Process variability is driving changes to the approaches used in the cell layout as well as the memory macro architectures. In this report, we use the industry leader in advanced logic processes, Intel, as a case study to determine where SRAM technology could be heading. As the primary on-chip cache memory for microprocessors in virtually every major application space, SRAM decisions are critical to the introduction of future technology nodes.

By comparing the 6T and 8T cell layout and design approaches on the 32nm Westmere microprocessor and 45nm Intel Core i7 microprocessor, we hope to identify the future direction of SRAM. Ultimately, this will lead to a better understanding of when transitions to 8T cells or other alternatives will become critical. Our report will look at the trend in Intel's 6T SRAM design for previous nodes to better understand future scalability of 6T designs.

This analysis, combined with the analysis on the Intel 45nm Penryn microprocessor, will provide the key innovations Intel is making to achieve reliable process technology with scaling path to 22nm.