Nanowire Volatile RAM as an Alternative to SRAM

Abstract: Maintaining benefits of CMOS technology scaling is becoming challenging due to increased manufacturing complexities and unwanted passive power dissipations. This is particularly challenging in SRAM, where manufacturing precision and leakage power control are critical issues. To alleviate some of these challenges a novel non-volatile memory alternative to SRAM was proposed called nanowire volatile RAM (NWRAM). Due to NWRAMs regular grid based layout and innovative circuit style, manufacturing complexity is reduced and at the same time considerable benefits are attained in terms of performance and leakage power reduction. In this paper, we elaborate more on NWRAM circuit aspects and manufacturability, and quantify benefits at 16nm technology node through simulation against state-of-the-art 6T-SRAM and gridded 8T-SRAM designs. Our results show the 10T-NWRAM to be 2x faster and 35x better in terms of leakage when compared to high performance gridded 8T-SRAM design.