4DS unveils new interface switching ReRAM technology for faster and energy efficient memory for AI processing

4DS Memory (ASX:4DS) announced a new type of ReRAM technology for AI processing, bringing high-bandwidth, high-endurance persistent memory for big data and neural net applications. 4DS’ Interface Switching based on PCMO (Praseodymium, Calcium, Manganese, Oxygen) ReRAM technology delivers significant advantages over other filamentary ReRAM technologies and is the first company to develop this high-speed, high-endurance, persistent non-volatile technology on an advanced CMOS node.

One of the biggest challenges to the AI market is that traditional CPU architectures cannot efficiently handle the massive volumes of data that must be read into the chip, processed, and the results written back out of the chip. While new chip architectures are bringing the memory in with the compute (Compute in Memory), this approach is limited by the type of memory they can use that can be fast enough and the amount of memory that can be integrated. With these larger models the challenges of compute data backup and recovery has likewise grown. In addition to speed, energy efficiency has also become more increasingly important as AI processing is forecasted to consume 10 times the energy by 2026 compared to 2023, according to the International Energy Agency. Because 4DS requires no refresh within its persistence window and can be ‘refreshed’ within the DRAM operating window (‘hidden refresh’), it can uniquely deliver an energy efficient high bandwidth and high endurance memory technology for the AI Age.

“CPU / server systems and emerging AI processor architectures can take advantage of 4DS’ technology to develop faster and more energy and processor efficient solutions for big data and neural net applications,” said Peter Himes, Chief Strategy Officer. “4DS is the only commercially viable PCMO based technology that has demonstrated the reliable performance, speed, endurance and energy efficiency needed for next-generation Big Data and AI applications.”

Key features of 4DS’ Area-based ReRAM include the following:

4DS has a development agreement with Belgium-based imec – a research and innovation hub in nano electronics and digital technologies – for a 20nm Mb chip with 1.6B elements to be run at imec in 2024.