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double-o-nothing
It should be known by now Samsung, Hynix, Micron, Toshiba all got their hands in ...
KB3001
Why? Could you elaborate, please?
Samsung buys MRAM developer Grandis
Dylan McGrath
8/2/2011 12:42 PM EDT
SAN FRANCISCO—South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. said Tuesday (Aug. 2) it acquired spin-transfer torque random access memory (STT-RAM) vendor Grandis Inc. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Grandis will be merged into Samsun R&D operations focused on developing next-generation memory , where new semiconductor materials and structures are reviewed for their long-term commercial value, Samsung said. The company said Grandis (Milpitas, Calif.) would contribute to its development of memory technology and become a key part of the company's global R&D network.
Grandis was established in 2002 to develop SST-RAM, which is said to combine the cost benefits of DRAM, the fast read and write performance of SRAM, and the non-volatility of flash. STT-RAM is also said to solve the key drawbacks of first-generation, field-switched magnetic-RAM (MRAM). The company received total funding of $15 million from several investors, including Applied Ventures, Sevin Rosen Funds, Matrix Partners, Incubic and Concept Ventures.
In June 2010, Grandis updated its product roadmap with the ambitious goals of replacing DRAM, and eventually, NAND, with its next-generation MRAM.
STT-RAM is a second-generation MRAM technology that is said to solve some of the problems posed by conventional MRAM structures. Most MRAMs that are now being developed write data by applying the magnetic field generated by a current running through a wire near a tunneling magnetoresistive element to change the magnetization. That enables fast operation, but, according to Grandis, it also gobbles power.
For years, developers of MRAM and other next-generation memory technologies have claimed that they would become the ultimate universal memory and replace today’s memories. But, to date, none of the technologies have lived up to the hype, while current memory technologies such as DRAM and NAND have continued to scale.
Grandis will be merged into Samsun R&D operations focused on developing next-generation memory , where new semiconductor materials and structures are reviewed for their long-term commercial value, Samsung said. The company said Grandis (Milpitas, Calif.) would contribute to its development of memory technology and become a key part of the company's global R&D network.
Grandis was established in 2002 to develop SST-RAM, which is said to combine the cost benefits of DRAM, the fast read and write performance of SRAM, and the non-volatility of flash. STT-RAM is also said to solve the key drawbacks of first-generation, field-switched magnetic-RAM (MRAM). The company received total funding of $15 million from several investors, including Applied Ventures, Sevin Rosen Funds, Matrix Partners, Incubic and Concept Ventures.
In June 2010, Grandis updated its product roadmap with the ambitious goals of replacing DRAM, and eventually, NAND, with its next-generation MRAM.
STT-RAM is a second-generation MRAM technology that is said to solve some of the problems posed by conventional MRAM structures. Most MRAMs that are now being developed write data by applying the magnetic field generated by a current running through a wire near a tunneling magnetoresistive element to change the magnetization. That enables fast operation, but, according to Grandis, it also gobbles power.
For years, developers of MRAM and other next-generation memory technologies have claimed that they would become the ultimate universal memory and replace today’s memories. But, to date, none of the technologies have lived up to the hype, while current memory technologies such as DRAM and NAND have continued to scale.
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JohnSmith1995
8/2/2011 1:17 PM EDT
This is excellent news. It appears that STT-RAM, which was pioneered by Grandis (founded by Dr. Paul Nguyen late 2002), is starting to fulfill its great promise as a universal memory, replacing DRAM, Flash, and SRAM.
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Helicopter
8/2/2011 2:22 PM EDT
Samsung was one of the heavy lifters of PCM and now they are acquiring MRAM?
What does this mean to the future of PCM?
Curious to know Toshiba/Micron direction.
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ilmenauer
8/2/2011 8:43 PM EDT
Well, PCM seems to be a stillborn technology.
They commercialized it, but there are almost not real applications for it and demand is weak. Samsung is not so interested in niche markets.
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Volatile Memory
8/3/2011 11:38 AM EDT
Yes, it is GAME OVER for phase-change memory (PCM). Samsung realized last summer that its PCM has horrible power consumption in handsets, in addition to being slow in write, costly to make, with poor density and impossible to scale. Now the scamsters at IBM and Numonyx (now part of Micron) look real stupid!
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resistion
8/2/2011 5:32 PM EDT
So practically all future MRAM royalties and licenses will go to Samsung.
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yalanand
8/3/2011 2:11 AM EDT
Yes, just imagine if Apple wants to use this kind of memory they have to approach their arch rivals "SAMSUNG".
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yalanand
8/3/2011 12:22 AM EDT
This is very good news indeed, so we can expect more compact and energy efficient memory devices from Samsung now. Any idea when will Samsung start using STT-RAM in mobiles and tablets ?
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SiliconAsia
8/3/2011 12:31 AM EDT
Sounds like asset/IP acquisition. There is no real future for MRAM as a discrete device.
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KB3001
8/3/2011 11:47 AM EDT
Why? Could you elaborate, please?
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resistion
8/3/2011 9:11 AM EDT
Samsung will also be more successful than any company that just works on one technology. It is even working on RRAM the ultimate dark horse.
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double-o-nothing
11/9/2011 12:36 AM EST
It should be known by now Samsung, Hynix, Micron, Toshiba all got their hands in the alternative memories like MRAM and RRAM. When DRAM and Flash are respectively replaced by these technologies, those who failed to pay for at least some research in these areas will be wiped out. Long-term consolidation catalyzed by investment in new technology.
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