Toshiba and SanDisk Develop 8-Gigabit NAND Flash Memory Chip With 70nm Process Technology
SUNNYVALE, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Feb. 7, 2005—
Toshiba Corporation and SanDisk(R) Corporation
(Nasdaq:SNDK) today announced an 8-gigabit (Gb) NAND flash memory chip
fabricated with 70-nanometer (nm) process technology that ushers in
the new era of gigabyte chips: 1-gigabyte data storage capacity on a
single chip. The new chip was today reported at the International
Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) 2005 in San Francisco.
The new NAND flash memory utilizes multi-level cell (MLC)
technology that allows two bits of data to be stored in one memory
cell, doubling memory capacity. Innovative circuit design techniques
were utilized to improve chip area efficiency resulting in an 8Gb chip
size that is less than 5 percent larger than the previous generation
4Gb chip on 90 nanometer. At 146 square millimeters, the 8Gb chip has
an areal density of 6 billion bits or 3 billion transistors per square
centimeter (20 billion transistors per square inch of silicon).
Performance is maximized by adoption of fast writing circuit
techniques, which reduce data write times and support a fast write
speed of 6-megabytes per second. Read speed of 60MB/sec., which is 40%
faster than previous generation, has been achieved by a combination of
burst mode and high read bandwidth.
Toshiba and SanDisk plan to start production of flash memory
products based on the new 8Gb NAND flash memory technology this
summer. In CY 2006, this 8Gb chip is expected to become the production
workhorse for the venture between Toshiba and SanDisk, and bring
significant cost reductions to the flash storage products of the two
companies. The companies also plan to commercialize a 16Gb NAND flash
memory IC that stacks two of the 8Gb NAND flash memories in a single
package.
Toshiba and SanDisk are technology innovators and market leaders
in NAND flash memories -- the highly versatile, non-volatile memory
integrated into digital consumer and other products. Toshiba has
consistently led the way in promoting advances in NAND flash chip
capacity and performance, while SanDisk is a leader in flash data
storage card products and a pioneer in high density MLC flash memory
chip technology.
About Toshiba Corporation
Toshiba Corporation is a leader in the development and manufacture
of electronic devices and components, information and communication
systems, consumer products and power systems. The company's ability to
integrate wide ranging capabilities, from hardware to software and
innovative services, assures its position as an innovator in diverse
fields and many businesses. In semiconductors, Toshiba continues to
build on its world-class position in NAND flash memories, analog
devices and discrete devices and to promote its leadership in the fast
growing system-on-chip market. Toshiba has approximately 161,000
employees worldwide and annual sales of over US$55 billion.
About SanDisk Corporation
SanDisk is the original inventor of flash storage cards and is the
world's largest supplier of flash data storage card products using its
patented, high-density flash memory and controller technology. SanDisk
is headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA and has operations worldwide, with
more than half its sales outside the U.S.
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements,
including statements about our business outlook, expectations for new
product introductions, technological advancements, wafer starts, the
transition and augmentation of our captive manufacturing capacity and
cost reductions that are based on our current expectations and involve
numerous risks and uncertainties that may cause these forward-looking
statements to be inaccurate and may significantly and adversely affect
our business, financial condition and results of operations. Risks
that may cause these forward-looking statements to be inaccurate
include among others: unexpected yield variances and longer than
expected low yields and other possible delays related to our
conversion to 70 nanometer NAND flash technology or the ramp up of the
new 300-millimeter flash fabrication facility, our inability to make
additional planned smaller geometry conversions, such as the 70
nanometer conversion, in a timely manner, the timely development,
internal qualification and customer acceptance of new products,
including those that are based on 70 nanometer NAND technology, lower
than expected product cost reductions and the other risks detailed
from time-to-time in our Securities and Exchange Commission filings
and reports, including, but not limited to, the Form 10-K for the year
ended December 28, 2003 and our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. Future
results may differ materially from those previously reported. We do
not intend to update the information contained in this press release.
Contact:
SanDisk Corporation
Mike Wong, 408-548-0223
mwong@sandisk.com
or
Toshiba Corporation
Corporate Communications Office, 03-3457-2105
http://www.toshiba.co.jp/contact/media.htm
