Title
Relaxing non-volatility for fast and energy-efficient STT-RAM caches
Abstract
Spin-Transfer Torque RAM (STT-RAM) is an emerging non-volatile memory technology that is a potential universal memory that could replace SRAM in processor caches. This paper presents a novel approach for redesigning STT-RAM memory cells to reduce the high dynamic energy and slow write latencies. We lower the retention time by reducing the planar area of the cell, thereby reducing the write current, which we then use with CACTI to design caches and memories. We simulate quad-core processor designs using a combination of SRAM- and STT-RAM-based caches. Since ultra-low retention STT-RAM may lose data, we also provide a preliminary evaluation for a simple, DRAMstyle refresh policy. We found that a pure STT-RAM cache hierarchy provides the best energy efficiency, though a hybrid design of SRAM-based L1 caches with reduced-retention STT-RAM L2 and L3 caches eliminates performance loss while still reducing the energy-delay product by more than 70%.
Year
DOI
Venue
2011
10.1109/HPCA.2011.5749716
HPCA
Keywords
Field
DocType
integrated circuit,processor cache,non volatile memory,temperature,nonvolatile memory,retention time,energy efficiency,logic design,switches,thermal stability,universal memory,energy efficient
Logic synthesis,Tag RAM,Torque,Efficient energy use,CPU cache,Computer science,Parallel computing,Static random-access memory,Real-time computing,Universal memory,Non-volatile memory
Conference
ISSN
ISBN
Citations 
1530-0897
978-1-4244-9432-3
100
PageRank 
References 
Authors
5.08
9
6
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Clinton Wills Smullen IV11468.86
Vidyabhushan Mohan217610.27
Anurag Nigam315310.83
Sudhanva Gurumurthi4123278.23
Mircea R. Stan53103277.34
Smullen, C.W.61257.02