SANDISK DEVELOPS 32-NANOMETER NAND FLASH TECHNOLOGY — SMALLEST, MOST ADVANCED FLASH MEMORY CHIP IN THE WORLD
Combination of X3 and 32 nanometer Represents
Breakthroughs in Size and Density; Significantly Reduces
Manufacturing Cost While Maintaining Performance
- Will allow for higher capacity of microSD cards not possible
with existing technologies
- Maintains performance levels of 43nm process technology due to
SanDisk's advanced All Bit-Line (ABL) architecture and 32nm process
technology advancements
ISSCC CONFERENCE, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF., Feb. 10,
2009 - SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK) and Toshiba
Corporation today announced the co-development of multi-level cell
(MLC) NAND flash memory using 32-nanometer (nm) process technology
to produce a 32-gigabit (Gb) 3-bits-per-cell (X3) memory chip. The
breakthrough introduction is expected to quickly bring to market
advanced technologies that will enable greater capacities and
reduce manufacturing costs for products ranging from memory cards
to Solid State Drives (SSD).
"The development of our third-generation 3-bits-per-cell
technology on 32nm within one and a half years after the
introduction of the first generation of 3-bits-per-cell on 56nm
shows the incredibly fast pace necessary to be a world-class
producer in today's industry," said Sanjay Mehrotra, co-founder and
president, SanDisk. "This allows us to offer higher capacities at
compelling form factors while reducing manufacturing costs - all
helping to expand our various product lines. This new development
highlights SanDisk's deep level of technical expertise and
innovation that ultimately benefits consumers."
32nm X3 Technology-Ideal for microSD
Applications
The 32Gb X3 on 32nm technology is the smallest NAND flash memory
die reported so far, able to fit into the fingernail-sized microSD™
memory card format that has enjoyed widespread adoption in mobile
phones and other consumer electronics devices. The 32nm 32Gb X3 is
the highest density microSD memory die in the world, providing
twice the capacity of a microSD chip on 43nm while still
maintaining a similar die area. Advances in 32nm process
technologies and in circuit design significantly contributed to a
113mm2 die-size while SanDisk's patented All-Bit-Line (ABL)
architecture has been a key enabler to maintain a competitive X3
write performance.
"The 32nm X3 die's small footprint and incredible density will
allow for the production of higher capacities of microSD cards than
could be manufactured without this technology," said Yoram Cedar,
executive vice president, OEM business unit and corporate
engineering, SanDisk. "The microSD form factor has grown in
popularity due to rising demand for high capacity storage on mobile
phones, and X3 will enable us to bring exciting new products to
this market."
Based On Key SanDisk Technologies
32nm is the most advanced flash memory technology node to date,
requiring advanced solutions to manage the challenges of feature
size scaling. 32nm technology combines several innovative
technologies to reduce die area more aggressively than the
trend-line of Moore's Law.
"32nm technology builds upon SanDisk's successful deployment of
immersion lithography in 43nm to implement spacer process without
incurring additional investment in capital-intensive lithography
equipment," said Klaus Schuegraf, vice president, memory
technology, SanDisk. "SanDisk brings its industry-leading 64-bit
NAND string length to 32nm, while compensating for bit-to-bit
interference effects with innovative programming algorithms and
system design."
SanDisk and Toshiba today presented a joint paper on 32nm 32Gb
X3 NAND flash memory at the 2009 International Solid State Circuits
Conference (ISSCC), highlighting the technical advancements that
made 32nm possible. Production for the 32nm 32Gb X3 is expected to
begin in the second half of 2009.
About SanDisk
SanDisk Corporation, the inventor and world's largest supplier of
flash storage cards, is a global leader in flash memory - from
research, manufacturing and product design to consumer branding and
retail distribution. SanDisk's product portfolio includes flash
memory cards for mobile phones, digital cameras and camcorders;
digital audio/video players; USB flash drives for consumers and the
enterprise; embedded memory for mobile devices; and solid state
drives for computers. SanDisk (www.sandisk.com/corporate)
is a Silicon Valley-based S&P 500 company, with more than half
its sales outside the United States.
SanDisk's product and executive images can be downloaded from http://www.sandisk.com/corporate/media.asp
SanDisk's web site/home page address:http://www.sandisk.com
SanDisk and the SanDisk logo are trademarks of SanDisk Corporation
registered in the United States and other countries. The
TrustedFlash mark is a trademark of SanDisk Corporation. The SD
mark is a trademark.
Other brand names mentioned herein are for identification purposes
only and may be the trademarks of their respective holder
(s).
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements,
including expectations for technological advancements, new product
introductions, manufacturing timelines and efficiencies, lower
costs, applications, markets, and customers that are based on our
current expectations and involve numerous risks and uncertainties
that may cause these forward-looking statements to be inaccurate.
Risks that may cause these forward-looking statements to be
inaccurate include among others: unexpected delays, or difficulties
in producing 32nm X3 NAND, new products may not be released when or
in the capacities expected, higher than expected manufacturing
costs, market demand for our products may grow more slowly than our
expectations or there may be a slower adoption rate for these
products in new markets that we are targeting, our products may not
perform as expected and the other risks detailed from time-to-time
in our Securities and Exchange Commission filings and reports,
including, but not limited to, our most recent annual report filed
on Form 10-K and our subsequent Quarterly Reports filed on Form
10-Q. We do not intend to update the information contained in this
press release..
| Media Contact: |
| SanDisk Corporation |
| Mike Wong |
| 408-801-1240 |
| 650-740-8436 (Cell) |
| mwong@sandisk.com |