Live Chat Available

Thin Film Storage (TFS) with FlexMemory Technology

Freescale’s 90nm Thin Film Storage (TFS) flash memory technology with FlexMemory will deliver outstanding performance, value, reliability and low power for next generation industrial and consumer microcontrollers.

90nm TFS: Split-gate Non-volatile Memory

  • Industry leading bit-level reliability through revolutionary silicon nanocrystal technology
  • Fast, low-voltage transistors that provide low-power read capability and help satisfy the increasing demands of power-sensitive applications with full flash operation specified down to 1.71 volts
  • Flash access times of <30 nanoseconds; and excellent area efficiency, enabling a rich level of memory and peripheral integration across flash densities, while maintaining optimal MCU cost

FlexMemory Features

  • FlexMemory is a memory block that can be configured as EEPROM and/or flash memory
  • Combination of TFS flash array (FlexNVM) + SRAM block (FlexRAM) + hardware state machine
  • Fully embedded in the MCU - avoids software complexity and eliminates system resource impact on CPU/flash/RAM of EEPROM emulation schemes
  • Can be accessed simultaneously with the main program memory
  • Can be used for storing additional application program code, data tables or byte write/erase system data

FlexMemory with EEPROM Capability

FlexMemory provides simple, cost-effective on-chip EEPROM with class-leading flexibility, performance and endurance.

  • Customer-selected trade-off of quantity of available EEPROM (up to 16KB) and endurance (greater than one million cycles over full temperature and voltage range)
  • Erase + write time of 1.5ms, 5x faster than traditional EEPROM solutions

FlexMemory can be used for a variety of purposes including program code storage, storage for data tables or for byte write/erase system data. In all modes it can be accessed simultaneously with the main program memory.

FlexMemory versus Traditional EEPROM
Attribute Traditional Embedded EEPROM FlexMemory
Read-while-write with program memory Yes Yes
Granularity Byte write/erase Byte write/erase
Write time ~1.5msec (byte write only) ~100usec (word or byte program, brown-outs w/o loss or corruption of data)
Erase + write time ~5-10 msec ~750 usec + ~750 usec (1.5 msec)
Guaranteed endurance 50-300K cycles (fixed) SoC implementation and user configurable, can exceed 10M cycles
Minimum write voltage ≥2.0V 1.71V
Flexibility Fixed by part number Programmable trade-off - quantity vs. endurance
90nm TFS versus other 90nm NVM technologies
Market Need Other 90nm NVM Technologies 90nm TFS
High Area efficiency and reliability
  • Erase times 50-90% higher than TFS
  • Floating gate bit cellus susceptible to charge loss when subject to even microscopic defects
  • Very high-density arrays
  • Unique nanocrystal charge storage technology provides unparalleled redundancy and reliability
Lower stop and run currents
  • Read, program and erase down to ~2.0V
  • 3x greater run current and 5-10x greater standby currents
  • Read/program/erase down to 1.71V
  • <1mA operation at low frequency
EEPROM capability
  • No integrated EEPROM capability
  • Off-chip EEPROM has slower erase + write times (5-10 msec)
  • Off-chip EEPROM has lower endurance
  • FlexMemory user-configurable as EEPROM and/or program flash
  • Write time: ~100usec
  • Erase + write time: 1.5ms
Scalability
  • Area efficiency limited by cell construction
  • Excellent area efficency (low-voltage charge pump for programming)
  • Array and analog area efficiency allow cost-competitive low-and high-density products with single technology
TFS is lower power, more area-efficient, more flexible and more scalable

Featured Video

Freescale 90nm TFS Flash with FlexMemory
Freescale 90nm TFS Flash with FlexMemory (Video - 6:34)

Return to Top Return to Top





  • © 2004-2013 Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. All rights reserved.