Samsung Unveils Advanced Memory Chip

A fusion memory chip that has strengths of many different chips in one has been unveiled.

At the 2006 International Electron Devices Meeting, Hwang Chang-kyu, semiconductor chief of Samsung Electronics, said on December 11 that the company successfully developed 512MB OneDRAM, the first DRAM fusion memory chip.

This is the second fusion memory chip introduced by Samsung following OneNAND, developed for the first time in 2004. While OneNAND is a flash memory-enabled chip, OneDRAM is the first fusion memory chip aimed at improving the performance of various digital gadgets.

Reduced Power Consumption and Area Coverage-

OneDRAM combines two DRAMS designed for communications and media and one SRAM into one chip, which is expected to make mobile gadgets smaller and lighter, and enhance their functions dramatically.

Recent mobile devices use DRAMS to support two CPUs for better performance, one for communications and the other for media functions like cameras, moving pictures and games. SRAM speeds up the transmission of data between DRAM and CPU.

“The OneDRAM reduces power consumption by 30 percent, lessens the number of chips and halves area coverage of semiconductors in handsets and portable multimedia players (PMP). Ultimately, it makes devices slimmer and lighter,” said the company.

Another strong point of OneDRAM is that it increases five-fold the speed of data processing between the CPUs for communications and for media. This was enabled by the integration of the two DRAMs used for CPUs into one and the incorporation of shared bank functions that control the volume of data put in the two CPUs.

OneDRAM is expected to be widely used for portable devices like handsets, game consoles and ultra-mobile PCs. The company expects the chip will create a new market, which will expand from $200 million in 2008 to $800 million in 2010.

Incorporating Concept of Fusion into Memory Chip-

In his keynote speech at the IEDM, Hwang emphasized memory chips should come out that fuse semiconductor and other technologies. “At a time when biotechnology, nanotechnology and healthcare are converged and incorporated, the chip sector should adopt the concept of fusion, too. To develop smaller and faster-processing chips, we desperately need new materials through nanotechnology, for example,” said Hwang.

“In the future fusion technology that combines large industries based on the fusion semiconductor, chips will play a core role.”

Meanwhile, Hwang received 2006 IEEE Andrew S. Grove Award bestowed by the governing body of the IEEE. Initiated in 2000, the award has the top authority in semiconductor technology sector. The award is given to one person annually. Hwang is the first Asian awardee.

mikemoon@donga.com jaykim@donga.com