Utilizing MRAMs With Low Resistance and Limited Dynamic Range for Efficient MAC Accelerator

The recent advancements in data mining, machine learning algorithms and cognitive systems have necessitated the development of neuromorphic processing engines which may enable resource and computationally intensive applications on the internet-of-Things (IoT) edge devices with unprecedented energy e...

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Main Authors: Sateesh, Kaustubh Chakarwar, Shubham Sahay
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IEEE 2024-01-01
Series:IEEE Open Journal of Nanotechnology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10756528/
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author Sateesh
Kaustubh Chakarwar
Shubham Sahay
author_facet Sateesh
Kaustubh Chakarwar
Shubham Sahay
author_sort Sateesh
collection DOAJ
description The recent advancements in data mining, machine learning algorithms and cognitive systems have necessitated the development of neuromorphic processing engines which may enable resource and computationally intensive applications on the internet-of-Things (IoT) edge devices with unprecedented energy efficiency. Spintronics based magnetic memory devices can emulate synaptic behavior efficiently and are hailed as one of the most promising candidates for realizing compact and ultra-energy efficient neural network accelerators. Although ultra-dense magnetic memories with multi-bit capability (MLC) were proposed recently, their application in hybrid CMOS-non-volatile memory accelerators is limited due to their low dynamic range (memory window) and high cell currents (ON/OFF-state resistance in ∼kΩ). In this work, we propose a novel supercell to enable the use of MLC MRAMs for neuromorphic multiply-accumulate (MAC) accelerators. For proof-of-concept demonstration, we exploit an MLC MRAM based on c-MTJ for realizing a highly scalable 2-FinFET-1-MRAM supercell with large dynamic range, low supercell currents and high endurance. Furthermore, we perform a comprehensive design exploration of a time-domain MAC accelerator utilizing the proposed supercell. Our detailed analysis using the ASAP7 PDK from ARM for FinFETs and an experimentally calibrated compact model for c-MTJ-based MRAM indicates the possibility of realizing a significantly high energy-efficiency of 87.4 TOPS/W and a throughput of 2.5 TOPS for a 200×200 MAC operation with 4-bit precision.
format Article
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institution Kabale University
issn 2644-1292
language English
publishDate 2024-01-01
publisher IEEE
record_format Article
series IEEE Open Journal of Nanotechnology
spelling doaj-art-99c37e77971941efaa88c58ff4877ce92025-01-24T00:02:26ZengIEEEIEEE Open Journal of Nanotechnology2644-12922024-01-01514114810.1109/OJNANO.2024.350129310756528Utilizing MRAMs With Low Resistance and Limited Dynamic Range for Efficient MAC Accelerator Sateesh0Kaustubh Chakarwar1Shubham Sahay2https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9992-3240Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, IndiaIndian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, IndiaIndian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, IndiaThe recent advancements in data mining, machine learning algorithms and cognitive systems have necessitated the development of neuromorphic processing engines which may enable resource and computationally intensive applications on the internet-of-Things (IoT) edge devices with unprecedented energy efficiency. Spintronics based magnetic memory devices can emulate synaptic behavior efficiently and are hailed as one of the most promising candidates for realizing compact and ultra-energy efficient neural network accelerators. Although ultra-dense magnetic memories with multi-bit capability (MLC) were proposed recently, their application in hybrid CMOS-non-volatile memory accelerators is limited due to their low dynamic range (memory window) and high cell currents (ON/OFF-state resistance in ∼kΩ). In this work, we propose a novel supercell to enable the use of MLC MRAMs for neuromorphic multiply-accumulate (MAC) accelerators. For proof-of-concept demonstration, we exploit an MLC MRAM based on c-MTJ for realizing a highly scalable 2-FinFET-1-MRAM supercell with large dynamic range, low supercell currents and high endurance. Furthermore, we perform a comprehensive design exploration of a time-domain MAC accelerator utilizing the proposed supercell. Our detailed analysis using the ASAP7 PDK from ARM for FinFETs and an experimentally calibrated compact model for c-MTJ-based MRAM indicates the possibility of realizing a significantly high energy-efficiency of 87.4 TOPS/W and a throughput of 2.5 TOPS for a 200×200 MAC operation with 4-bit precision.https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10756528/Multiply and accumulatetime-domain2T-1RMLC MRAM
spellingShingle Sateesh
Kaustubh Chakarwar
Shubham Sahay
Utilizing MRAMs With Low Resistance and Limited Dynamic Range for Efficient MAC Accelerator
IEEE Open Journal of Nanotechnology
Multiply and accumulate
time-domain
2T-1R
MLC MRAM
title Utilizing MRAMs With Low Resistance and Limited Dynamic Range for Efficient MAC Accelerator
title_full Utilizing MRAMs With Low Resistance and Limited Dynamic Range for Efficient MAC Accelerator
title_fullStr Utilizing MRAMs With Low Resistance and Limited Dynamic Range for Efficient MAC Accelerator
title_full_unstemmed Utilizing MRAMs With Low Resistance and Limited Dynamic Range for Efficient MAC Accelerator
title_short Utilizing MRAMs With Low Resistance and Limited Dynamic Range for Efficient MAC Accelerator
title_sort utilizing mrams with low resistance and limited dynamic range for efficient mac accelerator
topic Multiply and accumulate
time-domain
2T-1R
MLC MRAM
url https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10756528/
work_keys_str_mv AT sateesh utilizingmramswithlowresistanceandlimiteddynamicrangeforefficientmacaccelerator
AT kaustubhchakarwar utilizingmramswithlowresistanceandlimiteddynamicrangeforefficientmacaccelerator
AT shubhamsahay utilizingmramswithlowresistanceandlimiteddynamicrangeforefficientmacaccelerator