Standby-Power-Free Compact Ternary Content-Addressable Memory Cell Chip Using Magnetic Tunnel Junction Devices

Abstract

A compact ternary content-addressable memory (TCAM) cell of 3.15 µm2 with a 0.14 µm complementary metal oxide semiconductor process is realized by the use of nonvolatile magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) devices with spin-injection write. This TCAM cell based on logic-in-memory architecture with nonvolatile MTJs needs no standby power, yet allows instant shut-down of the supply voltage without data backup to an external nonvolatile device.