Infineon Technologies and Micron Technology, Inc. Announce Cooperation
to Develop CellularRAM™ Memory
Munich, Germany/Boise, Idaho USA, June 24, 2002 -- Infineon
Technologies AG (FSE, NYSE: IFX) and Micron Technology, Inc., (NYSE: MU)
today announced they signed an agreement to collaborate in the development
of specifications and providing multiple sources for CellularRAM™ memory,
a new multi-generational family of low power Pseudo Static RAM (PSRAM)
for wireless applications.
This new type of Pseudo SRAM device is designed to meet the rapidly growing
memory and bandwidth demand in future 2.5G and 3G handset designs, at
a lower cost/bit ratio than current or proposed alternatives. Featuring
SRAM-pin compatibility, refresh-free operation and extreme low-power design,
CellularRAM memory is a drop-in replacement for the asynchronous low-power
SRAM typically used in today’s cell phone designs.
CellularRAM is based on a single transistor DRAM cell versus a six-transistor
(6T) SRAM cell, providing significant advantages over traditional SRAM.
CellularRAM devices leverage all the technology and process advancements
of commodity DRAM. The DRAM structure also results in a memory cell
that is only one-tenth the size of a 6T SRAM cell using the same lithography
node. The die size savings reduces the cost of equivalent density memory
and enables larger memory sizes in wireless systems.
The CellularRAM product family includes components with an SRAM-type
interface for replacement applications and a new class of innovative products
featuring a burst read and write mode that emulates a Flash interface.
The products operate at clock rates as high as 108MHz, have an initial
latency of 60 ns and achieve a sustained bandwidth of 210MB/s (1.6Gb/s).
The intent of the cooperative development agreement is to make CellularRAM
memory a multi-sourced standard for the memory subsystems of next generation
2.5G (GPRS, EDGE) handsets and entry-level 3G (UMTS) terminals.
Both companies will produce pin- and function-compatible products based
on a jointly developed specification. Each company will manufacture
the products using their own process technology.
Infineon and Micron plan to make several CellularRAM devices available
in the next 12 months. The first is a 32Mb device, organized as
2Meg x 16, scheduled for initial availability in late 2002. A 16Mb
and a 64Mb device, organized as 1 Meg x 16 and 4 Meg x 16 respectively,
will be available in the first half of 2003. The CellularRAM devices are
powered from a single 1.8V supply and offer 2.5V and 3.0V I/O voltage
options as well.
"CellularRAM memory allows our customers to design a high performance,
power efficient and yet cost effective solution for next generation wireless
handsets," said Mario Fazio, Micron's Director of Strategic Marketing,
Wireless Products. "CellularRAM memory, when combined with a non
volatile memory like Micron’s high density, low voltage burst Flash, provides
an attractive solution for a memory subsystem operating on an asynchronous/burst
bus, today’s most popular choice in handsets. We look forward to
the opportunities of our strategic relationship with Infineon to further
expand the CellularRAM product family. Customers benefit from the
flexibility of supply, technology leadership and large manufacturing capacity
Micron and Infineon afford through the collaborative development of CellularRAM
memory."
"CellularRAM memory is an ideal solution for next-generation handsets,
providing the necessary density and data throughput at low power consumption.
After the market introduction of Mobile-RAM and the launch of the NROMTM
based NAND Flash technology, CellularRAM memory is another important milestone
on our roadmap to become a full range memory supplier for wireless applications,”
said Dr. Ernst Strasser, Director of Marketing for Graphics & Specialty
DRAMs of Infineon. “This agreement represents the latest in a series of
co-development agreements between Infineon and Micron. Our cooperation
on RLDRAM is very successful, and we are excited about the expansion of
our joint activities in specifying and providing full compatible CellularRAM
devices to our customers."
About Infineon
Infineon Technologies AG, Munich, offers semiconductor and system solutions
for applications in the wired and wireless communications markets, for
security systems and smartcards, for the automotive and industrial sectors,
as well as memory products. A global player, Infineon operates in the
USA from San Jose, California, in the Asia-Pacific region from Singapore
and in Japan from Tokyo. Employing about 33,800 people worldwide, the
company achieved sales of EUR 5.67 billion in fiscal 2001 (ending September).
Infineon is listed on the DAX index of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and
on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the ticker symbol IFX. Further
information is available at www.infineon.com.
About Micron
Micron Technology, Inc., and its subsidiaries manufacture and market DRAMs,
very fast SRAMs, Flash Memory, other semiconductor components, and memory
modules. Micron's common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange
(NYSE) under the MU symbol. To learn more about Micron Technology, Inc.,
visit its web site at www.micron.com.
CellularRAM is a trademark of Micron Technology, Inc., in
the U.S. and is a trademark of Infineon Technologies outside the U.S.
NROM is a registered trademark of Saifun Semiconductors Ltd.
|
