Micron Technology, which makes DRAM and NAND memories, is the target of a $23 billion acquisition offer from Tsinghua Unigroup of China, according to The Wall Street Journal. Neither company has confirmed the report.
- Tsinghua Unigroup is 51% owned by Tsinghua Holdings and 49% owned by Beijing Jiankun Investment Group. It has previously acquired Spreadtrum and RDA Microelectronics. Tsinghua Holdings is controlled by Tsinghua University in Beijing.
Intel and Micron Announce 3D NAND Flash Memory
Intel and Micron Technology announced availability of their 3D NAND technology, the world’s highest-density flash memory, for use in data center servers, laptops, tablets and mobile devices.
The new 3D NAND technology, which was jointly developed by Intel and Micron, stacks layers of data storage cells vertically to create storage devices with three times higher capacity than competing NAND technologies. The companies have been able to package up to 48GB of NAND per die — enabling three-fourths of a terabyte to fit in a single fingertip-sized package. A 256Gb MLC version of 3D NAND currently is sampling with select partners, and a 384Gb TLC design will be sampling later this spring.
“Micron and Intel’s collaboration has created an industry-leading solid-state storage technology that offers high density, performance and efficiency and is unmatched by any flash today,” said Brian Shirley, vice president of Memory Technology and Solutions at Micron Technology. “This 3D NAND technology has the potential to create fundamental market shifts. The depth of the impact that flash has had to date—from smartphones to flash-optimized supercomputing—is really just scratching the surface of what’s possible.”
