Samsung First to 16-Gb Flash Chips

May 29th, 2007

Samsung Electronics said Sunday that it is the first to manufacture 16 gigabit (Gb) NAND flash chips, which will allow for memory cards up to 16 gigabytes (GBs), the highest capacity available. The chips are fabricated using a 51-nanometer manufacturing process.”In rolling out the densest NAND flash in the world,” said Samsung Semiconductor’s Jim Elliott in a statement, “we are throwing open the gates to a much wider playing field for flash-driven consumer electronics.” He added that Samsung’s process technology was “a ‘half generation’ ahead of the industry.”The Seoul, South Korea-based company said that 51-nm NAND chips can be produced 60 percent more efficiently than those using the 60-nm process. Last summer, Samsung announced 60-nm, 8-Gb NAND flash. 16-GB Memory CardsSamsung said that with its multilevel cell (MLC) structure, the new design can increase the storage capacity of flash to capacities up to 16 GBs in a single memory card. The chip will be targeted toward memory-intensive portable devices, such as music phones.”No one will ever underestimate the appetite for storage” on mobile devices, noted Avi Greengart, an analyst with industry research firm Current Analysis. He said that with the iPhone coming out with 4-GB or 8-GB capacities, and with Sony Ericsson’s Walkman Phone W950 having 4 GB, four to eight gigs will be the “new normal” for enthusiasts. Both devices use flash memory.He also noted that memory needs for portable devices are growing not only because of digital music and video players, but also because of GPS devices. Users might want to store maps and points of interest locally on a GPS device, he said.Read-Write SpeedsIn addition to highlighting the storage-capacity increases, Samsung touted the chip’s read-write speeds as well. The company said that, because of the new process technology, read-write speeds can be accelerated by approximately 80 percent

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