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CMOS-integrated memristive non-volatile computing-in-memory for AI edge processors

Nature Electronics volume 2, pages 420–428 (2019)Cite this article

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Abstract

Non-volatile computing-in-memory (nvCIM) could improve the energy efficiency of edge devices for artificial intelligence applications. The basic functionality of nvCIM has recently been demonstrated using small-capacity memristor crossbar arrays combined with peripheral readout circuits made from discrete components. However, the advantages of the approach in terms of energy efficiency and operating speeds, as well as its robustness against device variability and sneak currents, have yet to be demonstrated experimentally. Here, we report a fully integrated memristive nvCIM structure that offers high energy efficiency and low latency for Boolean logic and multiply-and-accumulation (MAC) operations. We fabricate a 1 Mb resistive random-access memory (ReRAM) nvCIM macro that integrates a one-transistor–one-resistor ReRAM array with control and readout circuits on the same chip using an established 65 nm foundry complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) process. The approach offers an access time of 4.9 ns for three-input Boolean logic operations, a MAC computing time of 14.8 ns and an energy efficiency of 16.95 tera operations per second per watt. Applied to a deep neural network using a split binary-input ternary-weighted model, the system can achieve an inference accuracy of 98.8% on the MNIST dataset.

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Fig. 1: Features of the CMOS-integrated nvCIM macro.
Fig. 2: Logic operations of the nvCIM macro.
Fig. 3: MAC operations in the nvCIM macro.
Fig. 4: Proposed readout circuit techniques for the nvCIM macro.
Fig. 5: Experimental platforms using an nvCIM test chip for MNIST inference.

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Data availability

The data that support the plots within this paper and other findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Code availability

The code that supports the experimental platforms and proposed nvCIM test chip and SBITW network is available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge support from NVM-DTP of TSMC, TSMC-JDP and MOST-Taiwan.

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  1. These authors contributed equally: Wei-Hao Chen, Chunmeng Dou.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Electronics Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan

    Wei-Hao Chen, Wei-Yu Lin, Ya-Chin King, Chorng-Jung Lin & Meng-Fan Chang

  2. Department of Electrical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan

    Chunmeng Dou, Kai-Xiang Li, Pin-Yi Li, Jian-Hao Huang, Jing-Hong Wang, Wei-Chen Wei, Cheng-Xin Xue, Yen-Cheng Chiu, Ren-Shuo Liu, Chih-Cheng Hsieh, Kea-Tiong Tang & Meng-Fan Chang

  3. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA

    J. Joshua Yang

  4. Department of Physics, Institute of Nanoscience, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan

    Mon-Shu Ho

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Contributions

W.-H.C., K.-X.L. and W.-Y.L. developed the concept of this work, designed the circuits and the chip. W.-H.C. and C.D. performed the electrical analysis and measurements of the nvCIM macro. J.-H.H. and J.-H.W. built the MNIST demonstration system with input from R.-S.L. Y.-C.K. and C.-J.L. designed the contact RRAM devices. P.-Y.L., W.-C.W. and W.-H.C. conceived the neural network algorithm and CIM chip design, with input from C.-C.H., K.-T.T., M.-S.H. and M.-F.C. W.-H.C. and C.D. wrote the manuscript, with input from J.J.Y. and M.-F.C. All authors discussed the results and gave approval for the final version of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Meng-Fan Chang.

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Supplementary Figs. 1–11, Tables 1–3 and Notes 1–7

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Chen, WH., Dou, C., Li, KX. et al. CMOS-integrated memristive non-volatile computing-in-memory for AI edge processors. Nat Electron 2, 420–428 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41928-019-0288-0

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