Future memory and interconnect technologies

Abstract

The improvement of the computer system performance is constrained by the well-known memory wall and power wall. It has been recognized that the memory architecture and the interconnect architecture are becoming the overwhelming bottleneck in computer performance. Disruptive technologies, such as emerging non-volatile memory (NVM) technologies, 3D integration, and optical interconnects, are envisioned as promising future memory and interconnect technologies that can fundamentally change the landscape of the future computer architecture design with profound impact. This invited survey paper gives a brief introduction of these future memory and interconnect technologies, discusses the opportunities and challenges of these new technologies for future computer system designs.