Leaders of the world unite!
Two semiconductor manufacturers – Intel and Micron – teamed up to create IM Flash Technologies (IMFT). This partnership is the first to reach the 50nm half-pitch generation.
This marks the first time in recent times Samsung has been surpassed in memory process technology. About 12 months ago, flash solidified its position as the new lithography driver surpassing DRAM. The first flash device to lead the way was the Samsung 70nm NAND. Samsung has occupied the lead position pushing memory technology forward for both flash and DRAM for several years. Presently, Samsung offers a 65nm product.
Samsung?s displacement as the memory technology leader by the Intel-Micron partnership was certainly a surprise. The IMFT device is well ahead in some other key flash benchmarks as well. The cell size is 0.01?m2. IMFT is the first SLC flash company to squeeze 4Gbits onto a die less than 100mm2. That puts their die density of 42Mbits/mm2 well ahead of Samsung?s high water mark of 31Mbits/mm2 for SLC NAND Flash
Besides the litho improvements to achieve a 50nm half-pitch in the wordlines, IMFT have added other process improvements:
- Innovative new STI process
- 50nm metal 1 bitline half-pitch
- Bitline and bitline contact structure reminiscent of DRAM
- Poly 3 sourceline with tungsten cladding
You can purchase a report to quickly check key dimensions at www.semiconductor.com/IMFTreports.
The Intel-Micron partnership?s technological breakthroughs are definitely a significant industry milestone. Despite surpassing Samsung?s memory technology, IMFT has not, however, become the current cost leader in flash. Toshiba still owns the top spot due to their multi-level cell (MLC) devices. The Toshiba 8G MLC density is more than one-third better than IMFT or 56Mbits/mm2.
If you want all the skinny on the skinniest technology known to man, read my colleague’s article on EETimes.