Chipmakers
Toshiba and its fab partner, Western Digital, have jointly rolled out a 96-layer 3D NAND product amid a legal dispute. The companies have developed prototype samples of a 96-layer 3D NAND device. Samples of the new 96-layer product, which is a 256 gigabit (32 gigabytes) device, is scheduled for release in the second half of 2017 and mass production is targeted for 2018. Separately, Toshiba will invest approximately 180 billion yen in its Fab 6 facility in Japan. The production at Fab 6 is targeted for its 3D NAND technology.
As reported, Toshiba recently selected a group to buy its memory business. The consortium includes the Innovation Network Corp. of Japan, the Development Bank of Japan and Bain Capital. Rival SK Hynix is also part of the group. Meanwhile, Western Digital attempted but failed to buy the unit, and is now trying to block the deal. This week, Toshiba filed a petition with the Tokyo District Court against Western Digital, seeking a provisional disposition order for an injunction against acts of unfair competition. It also brought suit for a permanent injunction, damages and payment of 120 billion yen, alleging violation of the Unfair Competition Prevention Act.
Intel has delivered a 64-layer, 3D NAND-based solid state drive (SSD). “While others have been talking about it, we have delivered,” said Rob Crooke, senior vice president and general manager of the Non-Volatile Memory Solutions Group at Intel.
AImotive has announced that its AI-optimized hardware IP is available to global chip manufacturers for licensing. The technology, dubbed aiWare, is built from the ground up for running neural networks. VeriSilicon will be the first to integrate aiWare into a chip design. The aiWare-based test chips will be fabricated on GlobalFoundries’ 22nm FD-SOI process.
Fab tools
The ability to detect and identify defects is becoming increasingly difficult at each node. In a blog, Applied Materials described one way of finding killer defects.
Market research
Amid shortages of DRAMs in the market, DRAMeXchange estimates that the overall ASP of DRAM products will rise by about 5% in the third quarter compared with the second quarter. “Although the end demand, particularly from the smartphone market, has not been strong this year, the general pace of manufacturing technology migration has been slow and is contributing to the tightening of supply,” said Avril Wu, research director of DRAMeXchange. “This situation is anticipated to last to 2018 since suppliers will not take on significant additional production capacity in the short term. Meanwhile, ASPs of various DRAM products will remain high.”
NOR flash supply will also remain tight. DRAMeXchange estimates that prices of NOR flash will rise by about 20% sequentially in the third quarter due to supply scarcity. Wu noted that several major suppliers of NOR flash have plans to reduce production or gradually exit the market. “Cypress, for instance, is reducing the portion of NOR flash in its product mix as the company shifts its focus towards automotive and industrial IC markets,” said Wu. “Also, a memory maker has recently put up its 8-inch NOR flash wafer fab for sale.”
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