Elpida Memory's Low Profile DIMMs Deliver Double Data Rate Memory for High Density Servers

TOKYO, JAPAN, December 3, 2001 - Elpida Memory, Inc. (Elpida), the industry's only major semiconductor company to focus completely on DRAM, announced today the availability of its 512 Megabyte and 1 Gigabyte Double Data Rate (DDR) SDRAM Low Profile Dual In-line Memory Modules (DIMMs) for high density servers and other computing applications.

The new Low Profile DIMMs measures just 1.2 inches in height compared with 1.7 inches for a conventional registered DIMM, and they have a standard 184 pin-out that allows them to fit into any standard DIMM slot. The low height of the new DIMM allows these new memory modules to be mounted vertically in the thin 1U server enclosures that measure only 1.75 inches in height. Previously, designers of 1U servers mounted DIMMs onto the system motherboard at an angle. Compared with these angled DIMM connectors, the new Low Profile DIMMs reduce the size of the memory footprint by as much as 60 percent in these space-constrained environments. They also simplify routing, permit a cleaner board-level design, and improve signal integrity. Furthermore, server designers are rapidly shifting toward higher performance DDR memory in their designs to maximize memory bandwidth now that core logic chipset support is becoming available for DDR. From a system design standpoint, DDR SDRAM is an evolutionary upgrade from SDRAM. The DDR memory delivers up to 2.1 Gigabytes/second of bandwidth per DIMM and allows a server with eight DIMM slots, for example, to include as much as 8 Gigabytes of high speed RAM.

According to Jun Kitano, senior technical marketing and engineering manager for Elpida Memory (USA) Inc., "Although the new DDR Low Profile DIMMs were originally designed for servers with slim chassis to save space, the Low Profile DIMMs can also be used in servers and other computing applications that have wider chassis. The pin-out and performance is exactly the same as the larger DIMMs. Over time, as our customers realize the benefits of the lower profile - less PC board material, reduced cost, a more simple design, and improved signal integrity - we may not need to make the higher-profile DIMMs, because the low profile design will meet all of their needs."

ServerWorks^TM SystemI/O^TM Core Logic Supports Low Profile DDR DIMMs
According to David Pulling, senior vice president of sales for ServerWorks Corporation, "We are seeing more and more server designs that need to save space, and slim is definitely 'in' for the latest rack-dense servers and server blades. We're glad to see that Elpida is taking a lead to deliver high density, high performance DDR memory for this market, and ServerWorks SystemI/O products are ready to support the new Low Profile DIMMs in new server designs."

Technical Details of Elpida's DDR SDRAM Low Profile DIMMs
The Low Profile DIMMs are Registered to minimize bus loading for reliable data transfers at high speed in high capacity servers. They have a x72 data bus for ECC (error correcting code) systems, and they use standard DDR SDRAM devices that Elpida now produces in volume. The DDR SDRAM devices read and write data on both the rising and falling edges of the differential clock inputs (CLK, /CLK), and they have a 7.5 ns clock cycle time. Therefore, the Low Profile DIMMs process data at 266 Megabits per second per pin (for PC2100) or 200 Megabits per second per pin (for PC1600) using 133 MHz or 100 MHz clocks respectively. The DDR SDRAM devices use a low power supply voltage (2.5 V for Vdd and Vddq) for fast signaling at reduced power dissipation.

Elpida uses 256 Mbit DDR SDRAMs to build the new DIMMs. The DDR devices in the 512 Megabyte Low Profile DIMMs are packaged with standard TSOP packaging, and Elpida uses its proprietary Tape Carrier Packaging (TCP) technology to stack and mount thirty six 256 Megabit DDR devices to achieve the large 1 Gigabyte capacity on a single Low Profile DIMM. Both of Elpida's new Low Profile DIMMs are compatible with the 1.7 inch 512 Megabyte and 1 Gigabyte modules.

Availability

About Elpida Memory, Inc.
Elpida Memory, Inc. is a global corporation with headquarters based in Tokyo, Japan, and sales and marketing operations located in Japan, North America, Europe and Asia. Elpida's research, design and development operations were merged from NEC and Hitachi on April 1, 2000 and sales and marketing operations commenced in Q1, 2001. Elpida's entire DRAM semiconductor product line is now marketed under the Elpida brand name and includes DRAM devices and modules inherited from both NEC and Hitachi, as well as new products designed and developed by Elpida. Elpida's main DRAM foundries are located at NEC Hiroshima and Hitachi Nippon Steel Semiconductor Singapore. Elpida's own 300 mm DRAM wafer manufacturing facility is scheduled to begin production by January 2003.

ServerWorks^TM and SystemI/O^TM are trademarks of ServerWorks and/or its affiliates in the United States and certain other countries. ServerWorks Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of Broadcom Corporation.