US : Micron Technology announced sample availability of a new 64 megabit (Mb) high-performance Flash memory device, MT28F644W18, developed specifically for mobile applications. This 1.8V core Flash memory device supports an input/output (I/O) voltage of 1.8V, and is the fastest high-density Flash memory presently available in the market.

"Micron's new 1.8V Flash memory, operating with a random access speed of 60ns and an 81 MHz burst frequency, enables customers to significantly increase the throughput of their memory subsystem, well above the devices limited to 66 MHz burst frequency currently available," said Mario Fazio, Micron's Director of Strategic Marketing for Wireless Products. "Finally, a Flash memory device offering matched burst performance to Micron's CellularRAM(tm) products is available. The combination of high-performance, low-voltage Flash memory with our high-density, low-power CellularRAM products begets the highest throughput memory subsystem available for 2.5G and entry level 3G handsets."

Micron's new Flash memory architecture provides additional enhanced performance feature sets, such as, a flexible 4Mb multi-partitioned architecture, clock suspend, and fast programming algorithm to meetperformance demands for emerging mobile platforms. The multi-partitioned architecture allows for more partitions and supports code segmentation for different applications, yielding improved efficiency. Micron's Flash Data Management (MFDM) software manages operations and optimizes performance in this multi-bank architecture. The clock suspend feature allows suspension of a burst sequence for the retrieval of data from another device on the same bus while still allowing the burst sequence to resume at a later time with zero initial access latency penalty. The fast programming algorithm feature enables fast data-stream programming (3.1µs/word typ.) when the in-factory voltage is set to 12V (Vpp=12V). The same fast data-stream programming at an in-system voltage of 1.8V (Vpp=1.8V) makes programming and assembly easier.

"As a pure semiconductor manufacturer, Micron continues to focus on innovation by adding new high performance products to our already broad portfolio," said Fazio. "These devices complement Micron's existing family of low-power Flash memory, and position Micron well to meet the performance demands of emerging mobile markets, particularly in applications where execute-in-place (XIP) is the architecture of choice, such as handsets supporting VGA or mega pixel image sensors."

This 64Mb device is organized as 4 Meg x 16 and available in a FBGA package. Micron's mobile product family also consists of other low power Flash memory devices available in 32, 64 and 128Mb configurations.

Four factors are driving UMTS adoption : regulatory mandates, greater network capacity, reduced capital and operating costs, and availability of well-functioning, numerous, and low-priced handset models."