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Tuesday, January 24, 2012
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Elpida Memory Develops New 64Mbit Resistance RAM Prototype
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Elpida Memory, Inc. today announced the development of
its first high-speed non-volatile resistance memory
(ReRAM) prototype.
As the ReRAM prototype was made using a 50-nanometer
(nm) process technology it has a memory cell array
operation of 64 megabits, one of the highest densities
possible for ReRAM. The prototype was jointly
developed with the New Energy and Industrial
Technology Development Organization (NEDO), a
Japanese-funded public institution. Further work on
ReRAM development is being conducted with Sharp
Corporation, the National Institute of Advanced
Industrial Science and Technology (AIST, another
Japanese public institution) and the University of
Tokyo.
ReRAM (Resistance Random Access Memory) is a
next-generation semiconductor memory technology that
uses material which changes resistance in response to
changes in the electric voltage. This new type of
non-volatile memory can store data even when the power
supply is turned off. Its most attractive feature is
that it can read/write data at high speeds using
little voltage. While dynamic random-access memory
(DRAM) is superior to existing non-volatile memory
with respect to read/write speeds and endurance, DRAM
quickly loses data when the power supply is removed.
NAND flash memory, a leading example of nonvolatile
memory, retains data even when the power is removed
but has performance measures that are inferior to
DRAM.
ReRAM, on the other hand, is a type of semiconductor
memory that contains the advantages of both DRAM and
NAND flash memory. It has a write speed of 10
nanoseconds (ns), about the same as DRAM, and write
endurance of more than a million times, or more than
10 times greater than NAND flash.
Elpida plans to continue development toward a 2013
goal of volume production of ReRAM in the gigabit
capacity class using a 30nm process technology. If the
high-speed new memory can be provided at low cost, it
will contribute enormously to a reduction of memory
power consumption. This will make it an attractive
storage (recording medium) option in a variety of
information technology products, such as smartphones,
tablet devices and ultra-thin light notebook PCs.
Elpida continues to develop process migration and
other technology related to DRAM and at the same time
promotes the development of ReRAM as a promising
next-generation memory that can substitute for DRAM
functions.
Merge with Nanya?
Elpida Memory is also reportedly in talks to merge
with U.S. firm Micron Technology and Taiwan's Nanya
Technology, the Yomiuri newspaper reported on Tuesday,
as the memory chip makers battle a weak market and
well-funded South Korean rivals.
Elpida said in a statement it would not comment on
rumors and speculation.
The Yomiuri said Elpida, Micron and Nanya planned to
begin due diligence soon and Elpida may seek an
investment of as much as 100 billion yen from the
Innovation Network Corp of Japan.
Elpida President Yukio Sakamoto also made a trip to
the United States last week, sources familiar with the
situation told Reuters, although sources at financial
institutions doing business with Elpida said at the
time there was no word of progress on a possible
Micron deal.
Micron also makes NAND flash memory and reported a
net loss in its latest quarter. The company has a
10-year agreement with Nanya until 2018 to codevelop
new DRAM chip technology.
Toshiba said earlier this month it had held talks
about possible support for Elpida but was unlikely to
come to its rescue after pulling out of the DRAM
business. |
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