Semiconductor memory trends

In retrospect, over the past decade and a half, semiconductor memories have been in the stage of youthful growth. A thousand times increase in density and a ten times increase in speed have been recorded. Semiconductor memories have thus been a key element in the revolutionary development of digital electronics. Today, they are undoubtedly entering their age of maturity. Their density limit will be on the order of 100 Mbits per chip, roughly a hundred times the state of the art, and additional speed increase will be less than ten times. Nonetheless, the challenge is still there. Efforts to search for new technology which will actually bring out, in a cost-effective manner, the remaining density and speed potential of semiconductor memories are essential. A thorough investigation is needed to clarify and overcome mechanisms of phenomena which dominate device reliability and degradation. Integrating various data processing, as well as data storing, functions on a chip is the key to adding values to semiconductor memories.