Award Abstract # 0801658
Collaborative Research: BRAM: Balanced RAnk Modulation for data storage in next generation flash memories

NSF Org: ECCS
Division of Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems
Recipient: GEORGIA TECH RESEARCH CORP
Initial Amendment Date: April 11, 2008
Latest Amendment Date: April 11, 2008
Award Number: 0801658
Award Instrument: Standard Grant
Program Manager: Radhakisan Baheti
ECCS
 Division of Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems
ENG
 Directorate for Engineering
Start Date: May 1, 2008
End Date: April 30, 2012 (Estimated)
Total Intended Award Amount: $94,506.00
Total Awarded Amount to Date: $94,506.00
Funds Obligated to Date: FY 2008 = $94,506.00
History of Investigator:
  • Jennifer Hasler (Principal Investigator)
    jennifer.hasler@ece.gatech.edu
Recipient Sponsored Research Office: Georgia Tech Research Corporation
926 DALNEY ST NW
ATLANTA
GA  US  30318-6395
(404)894-4819
Sponsor Congressional District: 05
Primary Place of Performance: Georgia Institute of Technology
225 NORTH AVE NW
ATLANTA
GA  US  30332-0002
Primary Place of Performance
Congressional District:
05
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): EMW9FC8J3HN4
Parent UEI: EMW9FC8J3HN4
NSF Program(s): CCSS-Comms Circuits & Sens Sys
Primary Program Source: 01000809DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
Program Reference Code(s): 0000, 7423, OTHR
Program Element Code(s): 756400
Award Agency Code: 4900
Fund Agency Code: 4900
Assistance Listing Number(s): 47.041

ABSTRACT

Integrative, Hybrid and Complex Systems
Anxiao Jiang, Texas Engineering Experiment Station
Jehoshua Bruck, California Institute of Technology
Paul E. Hasler, GA Tech Research Corporation - GA Institute of Technology
Christopher M. Twigg, SUNY at Binghamton
Collaborative Research: BRAM: Balanced RAnk Modulation for Data Storage in Next Generation Flash Memories


The objective of this research is to develop a new data storage technology for next-generation flash memories with substantially improved longevity, reliability and efficiency. The approach is to use the ranks of flash-cell levels to represent data, instead of using the absolute values of the cell levels. Novel techniques are studied, including elimination of cell over-programming, reduction or even elimination of block erasures, data modification, load balancing, and error correction. The research closely combines new information-theoretical methods and hardware design.

Intellectual Merit: The intellectual merit of this research includes laying the theoretical foundation for a new data-storage technology and designing a new hardware architecture for flash memories. The rank-modulation scheme eliminates the risk of charge over-injection and reduces block erasures, which are two major barriers to advances in flash memories. The theoretical analysis and the code designs have the potential to advance information theory. The study of hardware, including novel circuit components and testing techniques, has the potential to advance memory design.

Broader Impacts: Electronic memories are a widely used storage media, along with magnetic and optical media. Flash memories account for 90 percent of the non-volatile electronic memory market. Techniques that enable next-generation flash memory have the potential to make significant societal and economic impacts, with the possibility of benefiting industrial production, scientific research, and the large population of flash-memory users. This research integrates research and education by developing new courses, engaging students in advanced research, including students from under-represented groups, and disseminating new knowledge.

PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH

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Arindam Basu and Paul E. Hasler "A Fully Integrated Architecture for Fast and Accurate Programming of Floating Gates over Six decades of Current" IEEE Transactions on VLSI , v.3 , 2010 , p.1 10.1109/TVLSI.2010.2042626

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