Hynix and ISi to ramp up DRam

Hynix joins up with Innovative Solutions

Hynix has inked a multimillion-pound deal with Innovative Solutions (ISi) to create the highest-capacity DRam on the market.

The number-two memory maker has agreed to license the company’s Z-Ram technology, which uses a single transistor (1T) bitcell architecture, making it the world’s smallest memory cell. As a result, it offers the highest density and comes with a low-cost overhead.

The technology offers up to twice the density of embedded DRam and is up to five times denser than embedded SRam.

This is the first time that Z-Ram will be used to make better DRam memory. Z-Ram was initially developed as the world’s lowest-cost embedded memory technology for logic- based ICs used in mobile chipsets, microprocessors, networking and other consumer applications. AMD uses Z-Ram in some of its processors.

Mark-Eric Jones, chief executive of ISi, said: “Hynix’s decision to collaborate with ISi is additional validation of the strength and commercial viability of our Z-Ram memory technology, particularly since Hynix is a dominant player in the memory IC market. Its products are used in a vast array of electronic devices, including PCs, servers, workstations and graphics cards, as well as handheld devices, such as mobile phones, MP3 players and digital cameras.”

He added: “Memory chips built using Z-Ram technology will be much smaller and cheaper to manufacture. We are looking forward to working with Hynix on its next generation of DRam chips and to bringing tremendous performance and usability advantages to end users.”

Sung-Joo Hong, vice president of research and development at Hynix, said: “Z-Ram promises to provide an elegant approach to manufacturing dense DRams on nanometer processes. We see potential to create a new platform of products based on ISi’s innovation of Z-Ram that will help us maintain and grow our leadership position in the memory market.”

The deal also opens up a massive new market opportunity for ISi, since the DRam market is worth more than $30bn (£15bn).