AMD doubles up in flash memory move News from E-InSiteAdvanced Micro Devices (AMD) wants to take over a majority of the NOR flash memory market, and it’s counting on its MirrorBit flash to make those market-share gains.
AMD, which would like to see its flash division prosperous once again, disclosed recently that it has a 13.3 per cent market share in the high-density flash memory business. AMD’s chief rival, Intel has a market share of 24.5 per cent.
With its MirrorBit flash memory products, AMD devices will be able to store twice the amount of memory possible on 64Mbit devices, giving customers more memory performance on a chip with the same footprint as normal NOR flash memory components.
The product design is similar to what Intel calls Strata Flash in that the devices can store two bits of information per cell where previously they stored only one bit.
However, the structure of each cell on Intel’s devices is designed differently, and that difference allows each company to brag about its particular high-density flash flavor. And a key component of the AMD/Intel flash memory competition will be price per megabit.
AMD is counting on its ability to bring higher-density flash components with reduced manufacturing costs to market. As a result of innovations at its Fujitsu Microelectronics joint venture flash memory fab in Japan, AMD is seeing higher yields per wafer. AMD plans to move its flash process technology from 0.25 micron down to 0.13 micron in one fell swoop by the end of the year, according to AMD.
AMD’s chief sell with MirrorBit is that it would be able to offer its customers flash memory parts at double the density in a pin-compatible format—just take out the old flash part from AMD and stick in the new.
However, Intel has been shipping double-density parts since 1997. In addition, Intel has already started the migration to 0.13-micron technology and hopes to have most flash memory technology there well before AMD does.
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