It looks like AMD is in an aggresive mode in trying to get a leading edge over their rival, Intel. After having purchased ATI to obtain their technology, the latest news is that they have purchased a license for new Z-RAM technology.

The people at AMD were so impressed by Innovative Silicon’s first-generation Z-RAM technology that they decided to license it back in January. Now, almost a year later, AMD has come back for more and purchased a license for ISi’s second-gen Z-RAM tech. Z-RAM, or zero capacitor RAM, is a type of capacitor-less embedded memory built on a silicon-on-insulator process. It can achieve significantly higher densities than the embedded SRAM memory typically found in processor caches.

According to EE Times, second-gen Z-RAM is expected to allow chips to store 5Mb (625KB) of data per square millimeter on a 65nm process. Using this technology, a 65nm processor could theoretically pack 10MB of cache in an area of just 16mm². For reference, 65nm Intel Core 2 Duo chips have a die area of 143mm², and going by Intel’s die shots, around a third of that area is required to store 4MB of cache. Z-RAM’s speed and power consumption are quite enticing, too. The second-gen tech clocks up to 400MHz and can draw as little as 10μW (0.00001W) per MHz.

Well, will this latest move enhance their microprocessors and gain a lead over their closest rival? Only time will tell.