Elpida Boosts DRAM Performance with New Chips
Japanese memory-chip maker Elpida said today it has started the mass production of 1-gigabit and 512-megabit DDR2 SDRAMs using 70-nanometer processing technology.
DRAM, which stands for dynamic random access memory, is the most common type of memory chip used in personal computers and other electronic devices. Because it stores data in separate capacitors, which tend to “leak” charge, the stored information eventually fades unless recharged periodically.
Higher Yields
The 1-gigabit and 512-megabit DDR2 SDRAMs chips can be used in appliances such as high-end servers which require processing of large amounts of data, high-performance mobile equipment, high-definition digital TVs, and next-generation DVD recorders, according to Elpida.
The first shipments of the new memory chips are expected in the first quarter of 2007, said the Tokyo-based company.
The 70nm process technology enables 800MHz and 1GHz speed functionality in combination with high-performance operations, but it also provides for a reduction in chip size, allowing for more chips to be produced on a singe silicon wafer, thus lowering chip prices for manufacturers and end-users.
Ramping up the DRAM
It has been a tough few years for several DRAM manufacturers like Elpida. Since December 2003, the United States Department of Justice charged four DRAM vendors and 18 individuals in a price-fixing scheme designed to artificial inflate DRAM prices.
In January, Elpida pled plead guilty to a Federal charge and agreed to pay an $84 million fine.
