High-performance 512 Megabit and 256 Megabit Mobile RAM devices that support advanced video and multimedia capabilities for cellular applications are available from Elpida Memory. The new devices are offered as bare chips for stacking flexibility with other semiconductors such as flash memory and microprocessors in Multi-Chip-Package (MCP) and System-in-Package (SiP) designs. The Mobile RAM devices can support a variety of densities -- from 256 Megabit to 1 Gigabit -- within the same small form-factor package. This flexibility is crucial in cellular applications where board space is limited.
"Elpida has always been very focused on low voltage and packaging trends for mobile applications," said Akira Yabu of Elpida. "Our Mobile RAM products offer our customers the density, speed and stacking flexibility necessary to support the adoption of advanced multimedia applications in cellular phones."
The Asian market is driving mobile technology, and it is now commonplace to find advanced features such as television, FM radio, video-on-demand, navigation and even identification capabilities available in today's mobile phones, and demand for these features is increasing globally. Multimedia requires more robust computing power as well as higher processor speeds, memory bus speeds and density to support the simultaneous use of multiple applications. While current demand calls for densities in the 256 Megabit to 512 Megabit range, new applications require DRAM in densities as high as one gigabit.
Elpida offers several solutions for easy implementation in small form-factor SiP and MCP designs. The newly released Mobile RAM device densities are available with an identical pad order which facilitates system migration to a higher density DRAM with minimal need for redesign. For example, a system upgrade to a 768 Megabit density can be achieved by stacking one 512 Megabit Mobile RAM device and one 256 Megabit Mobile RAM device together. Since these two devices have an identical pad order, most of the signals tie together easily eliminating the need for an extended design cycle.
Elpida's Mobile RAM devices also support single-edge pad and dual-edge pad layouts. The single-edge pad layout is ideal for stacking DRAM with a processor, while a dual-edge pad layout allows the design flexibility needed when stacking DRAM with flash memory.
Elpida's new 512 Megabit and 256 Megabit Mobile RAM devices are available in DDR and SDR architectures with both x32-bit and x16-bit widths. The devices offer a data transfer rate of 333 Megabits per second (Mbps) with low 1.8 volt operation. They are produced using Elpida's advanced 0.10-micron process technology. The Mobile RAM devices are also available in FBGA packages for board evaluation purposes.
Elpida (now Micron) manufactures Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) silicon chips.