In the pursuit of higher digital performance, as well as for finding new applications in emerging computing models and operating environments, low-temperature (300K to 150K) and cryogenic (<; 150K) computing is gaining momentum. In particular, space electronics (4K-200K), digital-control in fuel-cell electric vehicles (20K-80K) and digital-assist/ peripherals of quantum/ superconducting computers (10mK - 100K) require temperature-scalable process technologies and digital logic/memory [1-7]. Further, cryo-CMOS computing (100K - 150K) has been recently shown to be a significant booster for high-performance computing (HPC), with process retargeted for cryo-HPC [1]. For all these applications, there is a demand for high-density, large-capacity, high-bandwidth (BW) memory, which cannot be addressed by non-CMOS technologies (e.g., Vortex Transitional devices, Josephson Junction based Memory arrays etc. [2-7]) that suffer from single-temperature operation, low-density, poor-scalability, poor-reliability and high design-complexity. On the other hand, scaled CMOS with improved characteristics at low-temperature, such as steep sub-threshold slope (SS), improved channel transport, low- I OFF and reduced thermal noise, provides a promising, yet largely unexplored pathway for integrating large on-die memory with both CMOS and non-CMOS cryo-computing, across a wide range of temperatures and applications. In this research test-chip, we present a 2T-gain-cell (GC) based embedded-DRAM (eDRAM) macro in 28nm HKMG CMOS targeted for a range of cryo-applications and enabled by superior transistor characteristics at low-temperature. It features: (1) a hybrid P/N gain-cell for stable storage and low coupling noise, (2) an open bit-line architecture taking advantage of the low noise, (3) reliable operation from 300K to 4K and (3) 10 6 × improvement of retention time from 300K to 4K. The cell architecture, operating voltages and the design-space for eDRAM (1T-1C and gain-cell) are summarized in Fig. 1. While low storage capacitor in eDRAM on logic leads to low retention time and high refresh power, the ultra-low leakage at cryo-temperature makes it a promising technology with a measured retention time of >1s at 4K.
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Saligram et al. (2021) studied this question.