Samsung Unveils New Flash Memory Tech

Samsung Electronics Co. has developed the world`s first 32-gigabit NAND flash memory chip based on 40-nano technologies (one meter is equal to one billion times nanometer).

The Korean semiconductor giant also unveiled another new technology, called Charge Trap Flash (CTF), which is expected to end the NAND flash era driven by Intel for the last 35 years. Another plus of the NAND flash memory chip is that it employed the new CTF technology.

Hwang Chang-gyu, the head of the Samsung semiconductor business, said on September 11 in the Shilla Hotel, Jangchung-dong, Seoul, “For the first time in the world memory industry, we have adapted the 40nm refinery system to develop 32-gigabit NAND flash memory and we will begin mass production of the 40nm 32 Gb product starting 2008.”

“While last year marked with Flash Rush, this year will be the harbinger of the new era to open a new chapter of the Flashtopia, a new digital world.” Hwang stated.

Hwang said on the same day, “The birth of the 40 nano based 32-gigabit NAND flash memory all boils down to the take-off of Flashtopia, the utopia built upon flash memory technology.”

The ‘Flash Rush,’ a phrase coined by Hwang last year, involves that rush of the flash memory market would start as all potable devices gave their way to flash memory technology.

Meanwhile, Flashtopia can be defined more comprehensively; flash memory evolves into multifunctional equipment improving the overall life standard beyond a mere information storage device.

Samsung shows its confidence in the evolution sparked by the revolutionary digital device, saying “except creativity and family lives, a flash chip will do everything for you.”

Dreams of the terabit era-

With the introduction of the new 40nano flash NAND technology, Samsung will be able to usher in the terabit-class memory (one Tb is equal to 1000 times Gb unit) from today`s gigabit chips.

This flash memory will realize the informational revolution where we can store all the information in a tiny memory chip such as SMS messages, pictures, music files, and movie files and use them whenever necessary.

Although its size is as tiny as a thumbnail, the 40nano 32-gigabit NAND memory has 32.8 billion memory cells in it.

Each thumbnail-sized chip has the capacity to store data equivalent to 400 years of a 40-page daily after 2008 when its mass-manufacture enables 64-gigabit memory card production.

Hwang explained, “There will come the era of tiny semiconductor chip, allowing us to put our memories for a year into a single small memory chip.”

Flash memory realizes the ‘digital life’ without storage limits in that it weighs less than hard disk drive but runs faster while saving electricity. Moreover, though the prices have been the biggest drawback of commercialization of the flash memory, market prices tend to fall sharply, which helps the spread of the chip for daily uses.

Growing but competitive chip market-

Samsung expects that 50 billion dollars of the NAND flash market (approximately 47.5 trillion won) is to form its shape once the mass production of the 40nano 32-gigabit NAND flash memory begins in 2008.

The company released this year the ‘Digital PC,’ a personal computer without a hard disk device by introducing the world first NAND flash memory technology, and plans to adapt across the board the 40nano 32-gigabit NAND flash memory to Samsung digital product lines.

The company said “the revolutionary invention of the Flash memory can be compared no less than with those of paper, gunpowder, and compass. NAND memory chips are not confined in personal computer market but range throughout the consumer market of the portable gadgets and digital devices such as the billion-piece mobile phone market.”

Samsung pins hope on the release of Microsoft Corp.`s new Windows Vista operating system or Sony’s PlayStation 3 as momentum for driving up overall chip sales, especially DRAM products equipped with three dimensional movie performance, around late this year or early next year.

Meanwhile, as Intel and Micron start NAND flash mass-production by establishing a joint-venture this year and Japanese firms such as TOSHIBA and some Twain companies are to expand their manufacture, the chip industry in general is growing increasingly tough.