2015/07/29 Intel 宣布與美光共推 3D Xpoint 技術，號稱打造出具既有 NAND 千倍速度、千倍耐用的非揮發性記憶體 @ 真乄科技業的頂尖投資團隊

memorytech

圖片為 Intel 與工研院共同展示之陣列式記憶體

英特爾(Intel)以及美光(Micron)宣布已經研發出新種記憶體，能帶給PC、智慧型手機等科技產品長足的進步。2家公司計劃在2016年開始銷售這款新記憶體，其資料讀寫速度較NAND Flash快1,000倍，儲存容量則比DRAM多10倍。該新技術被稱為3D Xpoint，然2公司不願意詳述此技術或是利用何種關鍵材料所打造。

採用3D Xpoint打造的記憶體與NAND Flash類似，不通電仍能保持資料，但速度不如DRAM。英特爾以及美光高層預測，新記憶體的高速讀寫特性能帶來一連串的新應用，例如語音辨識、偵測金融詐騙以及基因研究。2公司預計在2016年透過美光位在美國猶他州的廠房量產該記憶體。

據華爾街日報(WSJ)報導，該技術的重要性以及原創性引發熱烈的議論，新創公司Crossbar策略副總裁Sylvain Dubois指出，英特爾及美光推出的技術，與Crossbar的可變電阻式記憶體(Resistive RAM)技術相當類似。而Everspin Technologies則認為自家的技術領先，能夠推出與DRAM速度相同，但同樣不須通電就可維持資料的記憶體。

英特爾以及美光自2006年起，針對NAND技術進行合作。晚近許多記憶體業者都在尋求在更小電晶體上儲存更多資料的方式，英特爾及美光也不自外於此。這次推出的3D Xpoint技術，採用垂直電路，透過十字型格欄相連，加上其他條件，允許每個記憶單元分開管理。這與NAND Flash大不相同，NAND Flash需要整塊記憶單元同步運作，因此拖累速度。英特爾副總裁Rob Crooke表示，許多人認為這是不可能達到的技術。

2家公司預計先生產雙層記憶體，能夠儲存128Gb的資料，與目前的NAND Flash相同。之後可以堆疊更多層記憶體，以擴大資料儲存量。參加該會議的分析師表示，硬體設計者需要一些時間決定如何使用新記憶體，甚至到底是否要使用新品。其中一種可能性是在固態硬碟中，將現行的NAND Flash改用新記憶體。

然2家公司表示，如果套用現有的系統連接架構，導入新記憶體只夠享受到整體速度提升10倍的效果。如要增加速度，需要改變連接方式，或是如同DRAM般直接與微處理器相連。雖然理論上硬體設計可以只用新記憶體，2家公司預估多數系統應該會採用多種記憶體。

另外潛在的阻礙是2家公司希望維持新技術的唯一控制權，一般而言廠商多半希望有多個供應商，降低單一生產線可能會發生的技術或製造問題，導致無法如期收到記憶體。然而Technalysis Research分析師Bob O’Donnell認為，英特爾以及美光是少數具備生產實力的供應商，能夠說服客戶這個技術不只是個研究計畫。

A new class of memory storage was announced today by Intel and Micron. It marks a rare introduction of a new class of memory and each one has had large, wide-ranging impacts on the technology industry. 3D XPoint technology claims to be 1,000 times faster, has 1,000 times greater durability and is 10 times denser than conventional memory.

The technology is a fundamental breakthrough in the memory storage industry, offering massive benefits over current NAND-based storage, which is used in devices such as solid state disks (SSDs) and smartphones. For example, current SSDs that are based on NAND memory have limited write cycles, with a portion of the storage space being used essentially as a backup when memory cells die. A 1,000-fold increase in memory durability could have a profound impact on a range of devices, as well as hard disk sales.

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There are breakthrough materials used in 3D XPoint too that allow for greater density and performance. Memory is stored in a fundamentally different way. Property changes – not phase-changes, in the storage material itself are used – completely different to alternative electron-based storage. The technology uses a binary change in the resistance of the material, moving from high to low resistance.

The memory is able to be written at the bit-level, meaning that in certain circumstances, traditional garbage collection on SSDs won’t be needed and there are no transistors used in the storage of the individual memory cells.

Capture3D XPoint

The companies were tight-lipped about the specifics of the materials used and the in-depth details of how the technology works, or indeed the partnership between Intel and Micron in financial terms.The costs involved were also vague, but Intel has told me that it will land somewhere between NAND and DRAM. Following on from this, Intel also stated that price-wise the products will enter consumer as well as enterprise markets, meaning there’s scope for new 3D XPoint products to compete against the full spectrum of current storage technologies. What this means for current storage products is a little uncertain.

Hard disks are clearly a technology that has an end in sight, despite every-increasing capacities that continue to offer better-than-SSD capacity to price ratios and don’t suffer from read/write cycle limits. 3D NAND-based SSDs are quickly taking up their slack and offer super-fast SATA and PCI-Express-based storage that’s currently making waves across the industry – even in the mid to high-end consumer markets. Products based on the new 3D XPoint memory technology will roll out in 2016 and will be manufactured in Utah, USA.

New Class of Memory Unleashes the Performance of PCs, Data Centers and More

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

Intel and Micron begin production on new class of non-volatile memory, creating the first new memory category in more than 25 years.
New 3D XPoint™ technology brings non-volatile memory speeds up to 1,000 times faster1 than NAND, the most popular non-volatile memory in the marketplace today.
The companies invented unique material compounds and a cross point architecture for a memory technology that is 10 times denser than conventional memory2.
New technology makes new innovations possible in applications ranging from machine learning to real-time tracking of diseases and immersive 8K gaming.

3D Xpoint™ technology is up to 1000x faster than NAND and an individual die can store 128Gb of data

3D Xpoint™ technology wafers are currently running in production lines at Intel Micron Flash Technologies fab

SANTA CLARA, Calif., and BOISE, Idaho, July 28, 2015 – Intel Corporation and Micron Technology, Inc. today unveiled 3D XPoint™ technology, a non-volatile memory that has the potential to revolutionize any device, application or service that benefits from fast access to large sets of data. Now in production, 3D XPoint technology is a major breakthrough in memory process technology and the first new memory category since the introduction of NAND flash in 1989.

The explosion of connected devices and digital services is generating massive amounts of new data. To make this data useful, it must be stored and analyzed very quickly, creating challenges for service providers and system builders who must balance cost, power and performance trade-offs when they design memory and storage solutions. 3D XPoint technology combines the performance, density, power, non-volatility and cost advantages of all available memory technologies on the market today. The technology is up to 1,000 times faster and has up to 1,000 times greater endurance3 than NAND, and is 10 times denser than conventional memory.

"For decades, the industry has searched for ways to reduce the lag time between the processor and data to allow much faster analysis," said Rob Crooke, senior vice president and general manager of Intel's Non-Volatile Memory Solutions Group. "This new class of non-volatile memory achieves this goal and brings game-changing performance to memory and storage solutions."

"One of the most significant hurdles in modern computing is the time it takes the processor to reach data on long-term storage," said Mark Adams, president of Micron. "This new class of non-volatile memory is a revolutionary technology that allows for quick access to enormous data sets and enables entirely new applications."

As the digital world quickly grows – from 4.4 zettabytes of digital data created in 2013 to an expected 44 zettabytes by 20204 – 3D XPoint technology can turn this immense amount of data into valuable information in nanoseconds. For example, retailers may use 3D XPoint technology to more quickly identify fraud detection patterns in financial transactions; healthcare researchers could process and analyze larger data sets in real time, accelerating complex tasks such as genetic analysis and disease tracking.

The performance benefits of 3D XPoint technology could also enhance the PC experience, allowing consumers to enjoy faster interactive social media and collaboration as well as more immersive gaming experiences. The non-volatile nature of the technology also makes it a great choice for a variety of low-latency storage applications since data is not erased when the device is powered off.

New Recipe, Architecture for Breakthrough Memory Technology

Following more than a decade of research and development, 3D XPoint technology was built from the ground up to address the need for non-volatile, high-performance, high-endurance and high-capacity storage and memory at an affordable cost. It ushers in a new class of non-volatile memory that significantly reduces latencies, allowing much more data to be stored close to the processor and accessed at speeds previously impossible for non-volatile storage.

The innovative, transistor-less cross point architecture creates a three-dimensional checkerboard where memory cells sit at the intersection of word lines and bit lines, allowing the cells to be addressed individually. As a result, data can be written and read in small sizes, leading to faster and more efficient read/write processes.