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Micron Manufacturing Two New High-Performance NAND Flash Devices

Bart Salisbury — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:54:48 -0500

Micron Technology has announced two new enterprise NAND flash memory chips: a 16Gb single-level cell (SLC) NAND and a 32Gb multi-level (MLC) cell NAND, both produced on a 34nm die. NAND chips are commonplace in flash memory cards and electronic devices with built-in flash memory.

Micron reports that the two new chips can achieve up to 30,000 write cycles, a six-fold increase over present technology. Furthermore, the chips will support the Open NAND Flash Interface (ONFI) 2.1 synchronous interface, which can deliver a 4x to 5x improvement in data transfer rates over legacy NAND interfaces. Improved throughput specifications and smaller size hold promise for expanding flash memory options for consumers.

Micron’s new NAND chips are currently being tested with customers and controller manufacturers. Volume production of the chips is expected to begin early in 2010.

Image Credit: Micron Technology

Intel, Micron Announce Development of New High Capacity Flash Memory

Paul Lilly — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 09:03:41 -0500

Intel and Micron have developed a new 34nm NAND flash memory technology that is capable of 3 bits per cell, which allows for greater density than the standard 2 bits per cell technology currently in use, the two companies announced this week.. According to Micron, this will pave the way for high-capacity USB flash drives.

Micron also said the technology isn't yet as reliable as flash memory based on 2 bits per cell technology. Because of this, the 3 bits per cell chips will only be used in the manufacturer of flash drives that don't require the data storage reliability of an SSD.

"The chip is not for all markets," claims Jim Handy of semiconductor market researcher Objective Analysis. "The companies explained that they need more experience in production volumes before they will be confident to position it as a chip suitable for the high-write environment of the SSD."

Micron said the chips will be in mass production in the fourth quarter.

Image Credit: Micron via slipperybrick.com

Micron Starts Mass-Production on 32nm Flash Memory

Paul Lilly — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:15:24 -0500

Good news for storage buffs - Micron today said it has begun mass producing 34nm flash memory products, resulting in 16Gb (gigabit) and 32Gb NAND chips that will push high end storage capacities to new levels.

"Our industry-leading NAND products are opening new possibilities for some of the world's most popular consumer electronic devices," said Brian Shirley, vice president of Micron's memory group. "With our new 16- and 32Gb NAND chips in mass production, we are enabling customers to design cost-effective, high-capacity storage in their small-form factor products, using less space and fewer die."

Micron says its 32Gb MLC NAND chip is 17 percent smaller than its first -generation 32Gb chip, and that both new chips offer transfer speeds of up to 200MB/s.

As a result of the new product, mainstream SDHC cards may double in capacity from 4-8GB to 8-16GB, with 64GB or more replacing 32GB cards in the high-end market.

Image Credit: Micron

Taiwan Memory Company Loses Two Major Backers

Paul Lilly — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 09:32:30 -0500

The formation of the consolidated Taiwan Memory Company (TMC) faces a major setback today, as both Micron Technology and Nanya Technology, along with their joint venture Inotera memories, have pulled out of discussions to be part of the new group, DigiTimes reports.

For Micron's part, the company wasn't comfortable with the risk of its tecnology IP potentially leaking out if multiple patent holders began working under TMC. Micron stressed that its IP portfolio for specialty DRAM is more advanced than Elpida's, who is one of the participants.

Facing the worst DRAM market in 15 years, the Taiwanese government earlier this year announced the formation of the new DRAM company, TMC. The point of the new company was to consolidate memory companies and rescue its ailing DRAM makers. The government-led project is still in talks with various memory makers, including Winbond, who just yesterday confirmed it met with decision makers for TMC.

Micron, Nanya, and Inotera said they will continue to develop and improve their own partnership in preparation for competition from the new memory company.

Image Credit: JustSomeGibberish.blogspot.com

Micron to Make up to 2,000 More Job Cuts

Paul Lilly — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 10:31:22 -0600

Slumping demand continues to take its toll on the memory chip industry. Micron, the largest U.S. maker of memory chips, said earlier this week that it has been particularly affected by decreased demand for specialty DRAM products, and as a result it plans to phase out 200mm wafer manufacturing operations in its Boise, Idaho facility.

"This action will reduce employment at Micron's Idaho sites by approximately 500 employees in the near term and as many as 2,000 positions by the end of the company's fiscal year," Micron said in a statement. "The company has sufficient manufacturing capacity remaining and does not expect any disruption in product supply required for customer needs."

Micron went on to say that these latest job cuts were not anticipated and not part of the 15 percent global workforce reduction it announced last October.

The chip maker said it will continue to operate its 300mm research and development fabrication facility at the Boise site. Financially, Micron expects cash restructuring charges to be in the vicinity of $50 million, which Micron says will generate a gross annualized operating cash benefit of $150 million.

Image Credit: 2news.tv

Rambus Lawsuits hit a Legal Snag

Justin Kerr — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 11:57:38 -0600

The runaway train wreck of memory lawsuits started by Rambus may finally be coming to an end. In a U.S. District Court, Judge Sue L. Robinson has ruled that Rambus’s patent suit against Micron Technologies is “unenforceable”. In her ruling she specifically cites “spoliation”, which is defined as the “destruction or alteration of evidence”. Essentially Rambus has been accused of failing to preserve documents that could be admitted as evidence. This news comes as an incredible relief to Micron Technologies, the single largest U.S. manufacturer of memory chips. Though this ruling is specific to the Micron case, if it holds up in the inevitable appeal, several other companies facing Rambus lawsuits such as Nvidia, Samsung, Hitachi, and Hynix may also be spared.

Judge Robinson also voiced her disapproval for Rambus’s aggressive tactics by using lawsuits against competitors. In her ruling she quotes a specific email from September 29^th 1999 whereby the author declares the “need to sue a dram company to set an example”. The email also specifically states that they should attempt to publicize the patents and lawsuits to “put all dram/controller companies that use sdram/ddr….on notice.”

Rambus has publically denounced the ruling and according to senior vice president Tom Lavelle, “"We respectfully, but strongly, disagree with this opinion, and at the appropriate juncture plan to appeal." "This opinion is highly inconsistent with the findings of the Court in the Northern District of California which looked at the same conduct and found there was nothing improper with our document retention practices. We are confident in the strength of our position and will continue to vigorously pursue fair compensation for the use of our patented inventions."

Is Rambus just a patent trolling?

Micron Ends Year with a Whimper, Posts $706 Million Loss

Paul Lilly — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 10:02:55 -0600

Micron Technology knows as well as anyone just how bad the memory market has become. For the eight-straight time, the Boise, Idaho-based memory maker posted a loss as it struggles to cope with declining chip prices. But despite the company's best efforts, Micron posted a net loss of $706 million, or 91 cents per diluted share, for the quarter ended December 4, 2008.

While the loss itself doesn't come as a surprise, the total amount does. Analysts surveyed by Bloomberg were expecting Micron to post a loss of 45 cents per share, but slumping prices continues to take its toll. Prices for DRAM and NAND flash memory have fallen 34 percent and 24 percent respectively, Cnet reports, and relief doesn't appear to be on the way anytime soon as memory companies look to cut production.

"The rate at which capacity comes back online will be determined by what the demand profile is through the first half of '09," Micron CEO Steve Appleton said during a conference call. "If you talk to the equipment guys, they will tell you that they may not have any business in '09 in certain categories."

Earlier this year, Micron announced plans to cut 15 percent of its global workforce as part of a two-year restructuring plan.

Image Credit: 2news.tv

Sun, Micron Announce More Reliable Flash Storage

Paul Lilly — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 13:15:13 -0600

Micron this week announced it has been working with Sun Microsystems to develop a new single-level cell (SLC) NAND technology the company claims "dramatically extends the lifespan of flash-based storage." Just how dramatic? According to Micron, production devices are capable of one million write cycles, offering the highest available write and erase cycling of any NAND technology currently available.

"Micron is pleased to work with Sun on this landmark achievement, enabling the use of flash in new applications that were previously not possible because of the inherent write/erase cycle limitations of standard SLC and MLC NAND," said Brian Shirley, vice president of Micron’s memory group. "We expect this technology to revolutionize the enterprise storage hierarchy and be adopted by a wide range of transaction-intensive applications, including solid state drives and storage systems, disk caching, as well as networking and industrial applications."

Micron said it is sampling its Enterprise NAND in densities up to 32Gb (that's gigabits, not gigabytes), with volume production on slate for the first quarter of 2009. The company also plans to unveil SLC and multi-level cell (MLC) enterprise versions of its 34nm NAND process early next year.

Image Credit: Micron