“IM Flash Technologies is boosting the capacity of its NAND flash memory chips, pushing the chips another step closer toward being able to take a starring role in PCs,” John G. Spooner reports for eWeek. “The Intel-Micron Technology joint venture, based in Lehi, Utah, announced July 25 that it has begun sampling 4-gigabit NAND flash memory chips manufactured using a new, 50-nanometer process.”
“Higher data storage capacity or density, largely determined by the number of memory cells present in a standard-sized flash memory chip, allows manufacturers to make music players that can store more songs or cell phones that can take more pictures. But it’s also the key to creating reasonably affordable solid-state hard drives for use in notebook PCs, memory makers say,” Spooner reports. “The 50-nanometer manufacturing, which is scheduled to reach high volumes in 2007, will help to accelerate increases in NAND chip densities, speeding the arrival of chips with capacities as high as 16G bits. Previously, IMFT had been limited to producing 8G-bit chips. A 16G-bit chip can hold about 2GB of data each, while an 8G-bit chip holds about 1GB of data, Shirley said. Later, using even finer manufacturing technologies for a 35-nanometer process will again double NAND flash densities to 32G bits, allowing a single chip to hold 4GB of data.”
“Hybrid hard drives, which incorporate 64MB or 128MB of flash as a buffer for storing files, are expected to be produced by numerous drive makers and used widely in notebooks in 2007. The onboard memory is said to speed boot times and increase battery life by allowing a notebook to turn off its hard drive for long periods of time while operating on battery power,” Spooner reports. “Intel, too, has devised a flash-booster for notebooks, dubbed Robson Technology. Robson places a flash memory module on a notebook’s motherboard. It will be a feature of Santa Rosa, a new notebook chip platform due from Intel in the first half of 2007.”
Full article here.
Related articles:
Samsung launches 32GB Flash disk in 1.8-inch form factor for portable computers – March 21, 2006
Intel demos NAND flash memory laptops – March 08, 2006
Flash memory poised to replace hard disk drives? – September 14, 2005
