Micron Technology Unveils 16GB DRAM Chip
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Company uses proprietary technology to create high-capacity server memory module.
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The new M-Cell Hyper-Drive from DTS adds 1GB of DRAM cache for faster operation.
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(InfoWorld) - Anyone looking to add a bit more memory to their computers won a gift from the DRAM (dynamic RAM) industry. Heavy competition has caused prices to tumble and industry analysts predict further price declines. The contract price of the most widely used DRAM chips, 512Mb, DDR2 (double data rate, second generation) chips that run at 667MHz dropped 12.5 percent from two weeks ago to $1.75 each as of Thursday, a new low for this year according to DRAMeXchange Technology, which runs an online trading site for the chips. That's great news for users for three reasons. DRAM price declines increase the likelihood that PC vendors such as Hewlett-Packard and Dell will add more DRAM to the computers they sell, or offer extra DRAM as an incentive; it give users a chance to buy more DRAM on the cheap; and it generallyÂ spurs memory chip makers to move forward on new technologyÂ that will ultimately increase computing performance. Contract DRAM prices for DDR2-667 chips have plunged 70.5 percent so far this year to the Thursday low. The main reason is because memory chip makers built too many new production lines in anticipationÂ of strong demand for Microsoft's Windows Vista, which requires more DRAM per PC, as well as because stronger DRAM prices in general for the past few years was a sign to some that the market had stabilized, analysts say. DRAM prices may continue to decline a bit further, but downside appears limited, according to Gartner. Today's pricing is at a similar level to the lows reached in May of this year, when DRAM makers refused to sell because the price had hit their cash cost. "However, we may see some activity below this level, because some brokers and distributors who are holding inventory may be prepared to sell at a lower price to clear stock," the market researcher said. Over the years, DRAM makers have tended to place more emphasis on winning market share than on profits, and the current DRAM price declines are symptomatic of their battles. Companies have invested so much money in new factories that the increased output has caused a glut, leading to price declines. Prices for DRAM chips fellÂ almost 40 percent in the first half of this year, compared to the first half of 2006, offsetting a 66 percent increase in unit shipments, according to the Semiconductor Industry Association. Contract prices are typically renegotiated between DRAM makers and PC vendors every two weeks. Around four fifths of all DRAM is sold by contract, while the rest is sold on the spot market, just like commodities such as oil and gold. Â
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The company plans to present a paper this week outlining a new type of memory that could help boost processor performance.
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A chip the size of a fingernail and capable of more than a trillion calculations per second is unveiled by Intel.
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Advanced Micro Devices plans to demonstrate its version of a new approach to processor design on Tuesday, with a chip that is expected to offer faster computing and relatively less power consumption.
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SAN JOSE, Calif. - Micron Technology Inc. edged out Hynix Semiconductor Inc. in the third quarter to regain the number-two position in the worldwide DRAM market, according to a preliminary market-share ranking from iSuppli Corp.
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A new chip-making technology that uses a special kind of electron microscope to draw the circuits and will lead to better memory chips.
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Computer memory chip maker Micron  said on Wednesday it had indications that demand for DRAM  memory chips, used mainly in personal computers, would be  robust enough to soak up rising supply in 2005.
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Breaking the speed barrier of traditional flash memory, Intel and Micron Thursday announced a new flash memory architecture that increases the data transfer rates in consumer electronics by cutting the bottlenecks affecting conventional NAND flash memory.
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Smaller, more efficient memory could double chip performance for gamers and multimedia use by 2008.
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Intel and STMicroelectronics have developed a new type of PCM (phase-change memory) chip that doubles the memory density over previous versions, giving a boost to an emerging technology that could one day replace the flash memory chips widely used in portable devices.The technology is still experimental, but the companies marked another step in its evolution, delivering samples of the new chips to device makers. Proponents say that PCM is more reliable than flash memory, and that it will offer faster data transfer speeds and be more durable.PCM uses a glass-like material that can change from an amorphous, or gaseous, state to a crystalline state as its atoms are rearranged. The state of the material corresponds to the 1s and 0s in computing, allowing it to be used to store data.As a result of their work, Intel and STMicro said the glass-like material can now be turned into four states instead of two, allowing it to retain twice the amount of data. The material can also exist in liquid and semi-liquid states.The advances from Intel and STMicro have made the chips smaller and more power-efficient, said Guilio Casagrande, director of advanced research and development at STMicro.Intel and STMicro presented their new developments on Wednesday at the International Solid States Circuits Conference in San Francisco.Numerous other companies have also been working on PCM, also known as PRAM, including IBM, Qimonda, Macronix, Infineon and Samsung.Phase-change memory has existed since the 1960s, but the cost of the technology and the energy required to drive change between one state and another was not competitive compared to other memory technologies like RAM and flash, said Cliff Smith, technology initiatives manager of Intel&#39;s flash group.PCM has the potential to give fast read and write speeds, while the existing NOR flash type is slow to write and NAND flash is slow to read, Casagrande said. PCM could eventually replace existing memory technologies because of its power efficiency and its ability to reduce data leaks, Casagrande said.Intel and STMicroelectronics signed a contract to develop PCM in 2003 and are in the process of establishing a flash-memory joint venture called Numonyx, due to launch by March 28. STMicro will hold a 48.6 percent stake of Numonyx, with Intel retaining 45.1 percent. The investment company Francisco Partners is also taking part.Numonyx will manufacture existing flash memory types until PCM is ready for market, Smith said. He expects PCM to appear first in devices such as cell phones in two to three years. Its use will eventually overtake that of DRAM, NOR, and NAND flash, he said.
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Samsung Electronics has developed a 8Gb NAND flash memory adopting technologies of processing chips with circuit width of 60nm, the first of its kind in the industry.
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, 8/30/2004. With 90 nanometer chips now on the market, the race for the next node - 65nm -- is now underway. Intel is on track for initial production of chips based on 65-nanometer process
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Intel has unveiled a compressed RFID chip that the company said can hold 90% of the components typically used in bulky RFID readers typically used today.
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Intel has built a fully functional 70Mb static random access memory (SRam) chip with more than half a billion transistors, using 65nanometer (nm) process technology.
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The 1Gb DRAM (dynamic RAM) chip has replaced 512Gb DRAM as the mainstream memory capacity in the PC industry as of October, according to DRAMeXchange, a sign most PCs coming off production lines can now use Microsoft&#39;s Vista OS.All of the premium versions of Vista require&#160;more DRAM per PC&#160;to ensure smooth operation of the OS, which is more complex and requires more hardware than its predecessor, XP.The changeover in the DRAM market has taken longer than many companies expected. Several DRAM makers&#160;built new factories in anticipation&#160;Vista would take the PC market by storm this year and antiquate XP. That hasn&#39;t happened. Instead, the adoption of the new OS is moving along at a steady pace, albeit&#160;slower than the DRAM industry expected.The heavy investment in DRAM factories, however, has caused a massive oversupply.&#160;Prices of most DRAM chips have fallen&#160;by over 70 percent so far this year, and are currently near or below the cost of production for most companies.The contract price of 1Gb, DDR2 (double data rate, second generation) DRAM chips that run at 667MHz fell 12.5 percent from two weeks ago to $2.63 each, a new low for this year according to DRAMeXchange, which runs an online trading site for the chips. The most recent DRAM slump hit in early October, as prices fell by 25 percent. Analysts said the market may not turn around until late next year, and possibly later if companies keep building new production lines.&quot;We do not expect memory chip makers to show any improvement in profitability at least until [the second half of 2008] unless there is stabilization or a recovery in pricing,&quot; said Warren Lau, chip industry analyst at Macquarie Research.Samsung Electronics already increased its production line spending plans 23 percent this year, he said, and the aggressive stance will likely cause rivals such as Elpida Memory and Hynix Semiconductor&#160;to follow suit so they can protect or increase their DRAM market share.Increased spending amid a chip glut should keep DRAM cheap for a while. Market prices normally take about a month to filter down to users, according to one DRAMeXchange analyst, and users can benefit from lower prices in a few ways. PC vendors often increase the amount of DRAM per computer when prices are low, or offer additional DRAM as an incentive to buy a new PC. Also, the price of DRAM modules found in stores will fall as retailers clear out their older, more expensive inventory.Contract DRAM prices are renegotiated every two weeks between DRAM makers and PC vendors such as Hewlett-Packard&#160;and Dell. Around 80 percent of all DRAM is sold by contract, while the rest is sold on a spot market similar to commodities trading in oil and gold.&#160;