Array-Level Programming of 3-Bit per Cell Resistive Memory and Its Application for Deep Neural Network Inference
Yandong Luo, Xu Han, Zhilu Ye, Hugh Barnaby, Jae-sun Seo, Shimeng Yu
Abstract
The requirement of multilevel cell (MLC) resistive random access memory (RRAM) for computing is different than that for MLC storage. It generally requires a linearly spaced conductance median and an ultratight conductance distribution, as the column current are summed up for analog computation. In this article, 3-bit per cell RRAM that is suitable for accurate inference of a deep neural network (DNN) is demonstrated, with ultratight conductance distribution (<; 1.5% sigma). First, a two-loop write-verify protocol is proposed. Then, statistical experiments are conducted on RRAM array fabricated in Winbond's 90-nm process. By incorporating the measured conductance distribution into DNN simulation considering the real weight mapping, inference accuracy with only 0.5% degradation over software baseline is achieved for CIFAR-10 data set even when 128 rows are read-out in parallel. By enabling parallel readout, the system-level energy efficiency and throughput could be improved by 5.3× and 4.4×, respectively,compared to the 3-bit per cell RRAM used as MLC storage.