DDR MCP Memory For 3G Phones

ASIA : Samsung announced the industry’s first commercially available NAND/DRAM multi-chip package (MCP) memory solution encompassing a 256Mb Mobile DDR SDRAM and two 256Mb NAND flash devices. The MCP solution eases the design challenges for 3G handset makers of delivering high-resolution video and gaming features in a small form factor and low power consumption.

“SAMSUNG’s MCP solution paves the way for future generations of low power, space efficient, technology leading, memory-centric solutions targeting the wireless handset space,” said Ivan Greenberg, Director of Strategic Marketing at SAMSUNG Semiconductor, Inc. “The combination of advanced memory and packaging technology enables a visually rich user experience with no compromise in handset power or space consumption.”

SAMSUNG’s Mobile DDR solution is designed for the special requirements of the mobile environment. Each pin can transmit data at up to 200Mb per second, twice as fast as conventional SDRAMs used in today’s mobile phones. The 256Mb mobile DDR SDRAM transmits data at up to 400MB per second. This level of bandwidth facilitates the display and capture of high quality video while the 1.8V supports low power feature required in mobile applications

The MCP also offers manufacturers a single footprint, irrespective of DRAM type (DDR or SDR), DRAM density, DRAM data bus width, NAND density, and NAND data bus width. This streamlines handset board design by removing several decision variables related to pad layout and count. The ultimate benefit is lower board design cost.

The two NAND Flash devices in the MCP can store more than one hour of full motion video images. The NAND flash has been optimized via controller and chipset firmware to boot up handsets, eliminating the need for NOR devices in the design. To further reduce power consumption, the NAND Flash features a pure 1.8v design (core and I/O).

The Mobile DDR device’s Delay Locked Loop (DLL) and voltage reference (Vref) functions have been eliminated to reduce power consumption, which is significantly lower than DDRs used in high-speed PCs. The internal temperature-compensated self-refresh circuit automatically adjusts the DRAM’s self-refresh cycle as temperature changes, maximizing the length of time the mobile phone can be used on a single battery charge.

The mobile DDR MCP conforms to international standards and supports the full range of JEDEC standards, including such issues as deep power down mode, programmable driver strength and partial array/self-refresh.

SAMSUNG’s 1.8V 256Mb mobile SDRAM and 1.8V 256Mb DDR SDRAM have been tested by major wireless handset makers since February and have proven to operate successfully on system boards. Samples of the 1.8V MCP memory solution are available now.