Samsung, ARM to Collaborate on Future Semiconductor Technology

Samsung Electronics and ARM work together for magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) development. For Samsung Electronics, this constitutes one of its innovation roadmaps designed to find out another growth opportunity after memory semiconductors.

According to industry sources, ARM recently released an embedded MRAM (e-MRAM) compiler IP for the first time in the industry based on Samsung Electronics’ 28 FD-SOI process technology. ARM is planning to provide the technique for Samsung Electronics in the fourth quarter of this year.

A complier can be defined as a piece of software that changes a text-based program source file into a machine language code and coordinates requirements for memory chip driving. According to ARM, this software can expedite e-MRAM production by facilitating design simplification and cost reduction.

An MRAM is a type of semiconductor that is capable of achieving a higher speed and keeping data even in the event of a power cut by using a magnetoresistive effect. In other words, it is a combination of the advantages of high-speed yet volatile DRAM and nonvolatile yet low-speed NAND flash.

A fully-depleted silicon-on-insulator (FD-SOI) is a silicon wafer covered with a thin insulating oxide film and a planar transistor electrode. It is characterized by having a small leakage current amount along with high power efficiency. Earlier, Samsung Electronics announced that it would release an 18-nano FD-SOI e-MRAM in or before 2020. ARM also said that it would provide Samsung Electronics with its process technology IP regarding seven-nano LPP in the third quarter and five-nano LPE early next year.

Samsung Electronics’ concentration on its semiconductor business is being led by vice chairman Jay Y. Lee. He turned the foundry business team of the System LSI Division into a separate business unit last year and the unit is planning to double its annual sales this year. At present, the vice chairman is working with a large number of partners in order to take the lead in the Industry 4.0 era. Graphic experts from Qualcomm, AMD and Nvidia recently joined Samsung Electronics to develop mobile GPUs, which are showing a fast-increasing demand with regard to cryptocurrency technology, AI robot engineering and self-driving technology.