Date: 04/02/2009

Innovation in DRAM focuses on package and speed

The DRAM vendors are realizing, instead of DRAM storage capacities, the package size and speed are to be given important. Though in recent years, companies like Samsung, Micron and other vendors were differentiating their products by increasing the memory capacity inside a single monolithic chip, but more recently due to consumer equipment market growth, the physical size and data speed is taking priority. DRAMs occupying very less footprint and swap the data into processor at few Gbps rates, are the talk of the day.

Rambus, the technology driver in DRAM market, has implemented XDR memory interface in low cost LQFP package, the popular package for consumer devices such as set-top box and HDTVs.

"Today's consumer electronics require high bandwidth and low-cost manufacturability," said Martin Scott, senior vice president of Research and Technology Development at Rambus

Added to this, Qimonda has announced first functional modules based on the smallest 2 Gigabit memory chip in the DRAM industry. The new 2 Gigabit DDR3 DRAM is based on Qimonda's 46nm Buried Wordline technology and has a die size of less than 55mm². This product is expected to be volume produced somewhere in mid 09. Qimonda is seeking financial partners to start production due to its recent financial problems.

Either XDR or DDR, the mantra is to keep the size small, increase the speed and up the capacities.