Date: 12/09/2008

Synopsys and Ovonyx team-up in developing simulation models for Phase-change RAM

Phase Change Memory (PCM) is like flash memory, which can store the data even during no-power. Also has couple of key advantage over flash. If this device becomes successful, there is no need of separate flash and DRAM chips. PRAM can do the job of both. Yet there is no availability of PRAM device in the market, except Samsung's product demonstration. But there is lot of research going on in this direction.
Ovonyx is one of the frontrunner in developing PRAM technologies. Ovonyx has signed agreement with Synopsys to work on the development of device simulation models for PCM based on Ovonyx's PCM technology.

This collaboration is expected to boost commercialization of PCM (also called PRAM) products by providing effective TCAD tools for modeling PCM.

Howard Ko, senior vice president and general manager of the Silicon Engineering Group at Synopsys has said "This collaboration can increase the effectiveness of Synopsys' Sentaurus TCAD tools for modeling emerging technologies such as PCM, so that chipmakers can have a cost-effective alternative for continued scaling of semiconductor devices."

Technology CAD (TCAD) refers to the use of computer simulation to model semiconductor processing and device operation. TCAD provides insight into the fundamental physical phenomena that ultimately impact performance and yield.