Low-Power Memory

Overview

The importance of mass storage cannot be overstated. Most users really care about their files and information. Computer architectures are heavily influenced by parameters imposed by memory technologies. We are interested in all parameters of mass storage (volatility, speed, power, density, cost, reliability) and intrigued by the diversity of prevailing and nascent memory technologies. In the near term, since mass storage is increasingly important in portable devices, we are investigating ways of achieving very low-power memory, exploiting both conventional technologies (e.g., DRAM) and more exotic ones.

Publications

Conference and Journal Papers

R. K. Venkatesan, A. S. AL-Zawawi, K. Siva, and E. Rotenberg. ZettaRAM^TM: A Power-Scalable DRAM Alternative through Charge-Voltage Decoupling. IEEE Transactions on Computers, Special Section on Nano Systems and Computing, 56(2):147-160, February 2007. [pdf]

E. Rotenberg and R. K. Venkatesan. The State of ZettaRAM. Proceedings of the 1st IEEE International Conference on Nano-Networks, pp. 1-5, September 2006. [pdf]

R. K. Venkatesan, S. Herr, and E. Rotenberg. Retention-Aware Placement in DRAM (RAPID): Software Methods for Quasi-Non-Volatile DRAM. Proceedings of the 12th IEEE International Symposium on High-Performance Computer Architecture (HPCA-12), pp. 157-167, February 2006. [pdf]

R. K. Venkatesan, A. S. AL-Zawawi, and E. Rotenberg. Tapping ZettaRAM^TM for Low-Power Memory Systems. Proceedings of the 11th IEEE International Symposium on High-Performance Computer Architecture (HPCA-11), pp. 83-94, February 2005. [pdf]

Student Theses

R. K. Venkatesan. Power-Scalable Memory: Exploiting Typical Charge Retention in DRAM and Charge-Voltage Decoupling in ZettaRAM. Ph.D. Thesis, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, North Carolina State University, July 2006. [NCSU library: on-line thesis]

Patents

E. Rotenberg, R. K. Venkatesan, and A. S. AL-Zawawi. Systems, Methods and Devices for Providing Variable-Latency Write Operations in Memory Devices. US Patent #7,099,215. Filed Feb. 11, 2005. Issued Aug. 29, 2006.

E. Rotenberg and J. Lindsey. Variable-Persistence Molecular Memory Devices and Methods of Operation Thereof. US Patent #6,944,047. Filed Dec. 19, 2002. Issued Sep. 13, 2005.

Talks

The State of ZettaRAM. Presented at NANONET-1 by E. Rotenberg. [pps]

Retention-Aware Placement in DRAM (RAPID): Software Methods for Quasi-Non-Volatile DRAM. Presented at HPCA-12 by R. K. Venkatesan. [ppt]

Tapping ZettaRAM^TM for Low-Power Memory Systems. Presented at HPCA-11 by R. K. Venkatesan. [ppt]

Links to Related Projects

Dr. Lindsey’s molecular information storage project (molecule synthesis).

ZettaCore website.

Funding

On-going SRAM and DRAM research projects, including Adaptive Mode Control (AMC) and Retention-Aware Placement in DRAM (RAPID), are currently supported by grants from Texas Instruments and the NC State Center for Advanced Computing and Communication.

ZettaRAM^TM research was supported by a grant from ZettaCore^TM.

* The ZettaRAM^TM mark is a trademark of ZettaCore Inc. 
* The ZettaCore^TM mark is a trademark of ZettaCore Inc.