Microscopic circuit board city with glowing data streams, symbolizing advanced memory technology.

Unlock Lightning-Fast Memory: The Tech That's About to Change Your Devices

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Theo Raines in Tech & Innovation April 2025 • 4 min read.

"Explore the innovative sensing and voltage tech powering next-gen embedded flash memory for faster, more efficient devices."


In our increasingly digital world, the demand for faster and more efficient memory solutions is higher than ever. Embedded flash (eFlash) memories are at the heart of countless devices, from SIM cards and smart cards to the microcontrollers that power our appliances. The quest for lower costs and higher performance has led to exciting innovations in memory cell technology.

One such breakthrough is the twin-bit cell, a design that promises to pack twice the memory into the same space. However, this increased density comes with its own set of challenges, particularly in ensuring fast and reliable data access. To address these challenges, researchers have developed a novel sensing current protection enhanced (SCPE) technique, alongside advanced high-voltage (HV) generating systems.

This article explores the inner workings of this cutting-edge technology, highlighting how it achieves a delicate balance between speed, efficiency, and reliability. We'll delve into the specifics of the SCPE technique, which compensates for sensing margin loss and enables faster read access. We'll also examine the HV generating systems, designed to meet the complex voltage requirements of modern flash memory while minimizing area penalty.

The Core Innovation: SCPE and High-Voltage Systems

Microscopic circuit board city with glowing data streams, symbolizing advanced memory technology.

At the heart of this innovation lies the sensing current protection enhanced (SCPE) technique. Imagine trying to read information from a densely packed storage unit. The more densely packed it is, the harder it becomes to differentiate between the '1's and '0's. The SCPE technique acts like a smart filter, improving the clarity of the signals and speeding up the read process. It carefully balances the sensing margin loss between '1' and '0' bits, resulting in a read speed improvement of 7.7%.

Complementing the SCPE technique are the advanced high-voltage (HV) generating systems. Flash memory operations, like programming and erasing data, require specific voltage levels. Traditionally, generating these voltages takes up a significant amount of space on the chip. However, the new systems leverage parallel-series-transform and capacitance-shared techniques to minimize this area penalty, shrinking the HV periphery area by an impressive 71%. This is crucial for creating smaller and more efficient memory chips.
Here's a breakdown of the key benefits:
  • Increased speed: SCPE enhances read access times by 7.7%.
  • Reduced area: HV generating systems decrease periphery area by 71%.
  • High-Efficiency: Balances sensing margins for faster, reliable data access.
  • Compact Design: Achieves high performance in a smaller chip area.
The result of these innovations is a 1.5V 280KBytes embedded NOR flash memory IP fabricated in HHGrace 90nm CMOS process. It achieves complicated operation voltages and an access time of just 23.5ns. The IP’s die size is a mere 0.437mm², with the charge pump area reduced to 0.006mm² on average.

The Future of Memory is Here

The advancements in twin-bit cell technology, coupled with the SCPE technique and high-voltage generating systems, represent a significant leap forward in embedded flash memory design. The improved read speeds, reduced area, and enhanced efficiency pave the way for smaller, faster, and more power-efficient devices. As technology continues to evolve, these innovations promise to play a crucial role in shaping the future of memory and the devices that rely on it.

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