Micron Introduces 2-Gigabit Low-Power DDR2 Memory for Smartphones, Smartbooks
Micron Technology today announced that it is now sampling a monolithic 2-gigabit (Gb) low-power DDR2 (LPDDR2) memory device designed to provide mobile products, such as smartphones and smartbooks, with improved battery life and speedier system performance.
The new 2Gb LPDDR2 can be used as a stand-alone device or in combination with Micron鈥檚 NAND for high-capacity multichip package (MCP) or package-on-package (POP) solutions. By stacking four of these 2Gb LPDDR2 memory devices, Micron can achieve an ultra high-density, 8Gb-based solution. As today鈥檚 smartphones and smartbooks become more feature rich and application intensive, more memory is required to keep the system operating at peak performance.
鈥淟PDDR2 today is targeted at the high-end handset and smartbook markets, and this new 2Gb design demonstrates Micron鈥檚 commitment to serving those markets,鈥� said Eric Spanneut, director of mobile memory marketing at Micron. 鈥淚n the next few years as we start to see crossover from LPDDR1 to LPDDR2 in the value-driven handset market, Micron鈥檚 LPDDR2 portfolio is perfectly designed to address their needs as well.鈥�
The power and performance benefits of LPDDR2 make it a popular mobile memory solution for ARM-based systems. ARM is a market leader in providing processor IP and other key building blocks that enable a spectrum of mobile devices to combine exceptional performance with long battery life. Micron works closely with the ARM community to design LPDDR2 memory solutions into their mobile offerings, providing a complete package to the handset vendors.
鈥淟PDDR2 memory is fast becoming an essential IP ingredient for a whole range of low-power applications being developed by ARM partners,鈥� said Rob Kaye, senior fabric marketing manager, ARM. 鈥淎RM Memory Controller and System IP have been verified alongside this latest LPDDR2 from Micron, enabling ARM partners to rapidly integrate this LPDDR2 memory into their designs.鈥�
Micron鈥檚 LPDDR2 product family has the low-power consumption, high performance, and wide temperature ranges for greater mobility and longer battery life. Specifically, Micron鈥檚 LPDDR2 family:
鈥� Operates at 1.2-volts, reducing the device鈥檚 memory power consumption as much as 50 percent when compared to LPDDR1
鈥� Delivers data transferring speeds of up to 1066 Mb per second, boosting the operating capability of mobile applications
鈥� Supports advanced mechanisms for managing power usage, allowing for portions of the array to be powered down when not required
鈥� Offers a broad temperature range - 40潞 to +105潞 Celsius - maintaining performance in extreme environments
Micron expects to be in mass production with the 2Gb LPDDR2 in the third quarter of 2010.
Source: Micron
