Intel and Micron are set to unveil their new 25-nanometer flash memory chips on Monday via their IM Flash Technologies joint venture – the first commercial chip product made using advanced 25nm manufacturing technology.
This new 64 gigabit (8 gigabyte) Multi-Level Cell NAND flash memory chip will give the companies a significant cost advantage over their rivals. These new chips are aimed at smartphones, solid-state drives (SSDs) and portable media players such as iPods.
Samsung Electronics, the world’s largest producer of flash memory, is starting work on 30nm technology this year and is planning to use it in most production lines by the end of 2010.
The nanometer measurement describes the microscopic size of transistors and other parts on a chip. A nanometer is a billionth of a meter, which is about the size of a few atoms combined.
This means that with the help of smaller chip manufacturing technology, companies can now meet user demands for small devices that can perform many functions, such as smartphones with built-in music players, cameras and computers. These smaller etching technologies also enable companies to increase chip speed and reduce power consumption and add to that the lowering of costs over time – which is a good news for consumers.
The manufacturing cost of the new 25nm flash chips will be around $0.50 per gigabyte (GB), compared to $1.75 per gigabyte for mainstream 45nm flash. The market price of flash chips has been hovering around $2.00 per gigabyte and is likely to remain there throughout 2010.
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