Elpida Memory Develops 1600 Mbps 4-Gigabit DDR3 Mobile RAM (LPDDR3)
Wide IO and LPDDR3 Product Line-up Supports Next-Generation Mobile Device Development
Tokyo, Japan, November 24, 2011 – Elpida Memory, the third largest Dynamic Random Access Memory ("DRAM") manufacturer in the world, today announced that it has developed an advanced 30nm [1] process 4-gigabit [2] DDR3 Mobile RAMTM (LPDDR3 [3]). The new chip can achieve a high-speed data transfer rate of 1600Mbps [4] at low operating voltage of 1.2V.
The new LPDDR3, along with the newly developed high-performance low-power consumption Wide IO [3] Mobile RAM recently announced, enables Elpida to strongly support the development of next-generation mobile devices.
LPDDR3 achieves a data transfer rate that is twice as fast as DDR2 Mobile RAM (LPDDR2 [3]),the current leading DRAM [5] preference for mobile devices.
Based on a per pin speed of 1600Mbps, a single LPDDR3 device has a data transfer rate of 6.4 gigabytes per second (GB/s) or 12.8GB/s in high-end mobile devices using a two-chip configuration. When compared with LPDDR2 on a same-speed basis, LPDDR3 consumes roughly 25% less power, enabling it to extend the operating time of such mobile devices as smartphones and tablet PCs.
Sample shipments of the new LPDDR3 will begin toward the end of 2011. Depending on customer demand, volume production is expected to start in late 2012. Also, two- and four-layer stacking configurations will enable high-density 8-gigabit and 16-gigabit chips to be added the line-up of LPDDR3 products.
Key Features of the New LPDDR3| Manufacturing process | 30nm CMOS |
| Memory density | 4-gigabit / 8-gigabit / 16-gigabit |
| Package | FBGA / PoP (Package on Package) |
| Data width | x32-bit / x64-bit |
| Per pin data transfer rate | 1600Mbps (Max.) |
| Supply Voltage | VDD1: 1.8V, VDD2/VDDCA/VDDQ: 1.2V |
| Operating temperature range | -30 to 85°C |
1. nanometer (nm): A nanometer (nm) is a unit of measure. By definition a nanometer is one-billionth of a meter.
2. In the case of DRAMs, a "gigabit" is a unit for expressing an amount of data (volume of information). One gigabit is equal to 1,073,741,824 bits of data (two raised to the power of 30 or about one billion). 2 gigabits of memory is the current standard for PCs.
3. LPDDR2, LPDDR3, Wide IO
LPDDR2 (Low Power DDR2) is a low-power consumption DRAM currently used in smartphones and tablet PCs. LPDDR3 is a higher standard of LPDDR2. Wide IO, which has a data input/output (I/O) width that is more than ten times greater than conventional memory chips, offers both high performance and low-power consumption.
| Mobile Memory Standard | LPDDR2 | LPDDR3 | Wide IO |
| Data Input/Output (I/O) Width | 32 | 32 | 512 |
| Per pin (I/O) data transfer rate (Max.) | 800Mbps (1066Mbps) |
1600Mbps | 200Mbps |
| Per device data transfer rate (Max.) | 3.2GB/s (4.3GB/s) |
6.4GB/s | 12.8GB/s |
| Low-power consumption | ✫ | ✫✫ | ✫✫✫ |
4. bit per second (bps): a unit for expressing a data transfer rate. It indicates the amount of bits that can be transferred per second. Thus, "1600Mbps" means 1600 megabits of data are transferred per second. In the case of DRAMs, the "bps" indicates the data transfer rate for one pin (I/O). If the DRAM product has a 32-bit I/O, the data transfer performance for this one device will become 32 times greater.
1,600Mbps (200MB) x 32 bit I/O = 51,200Mbps (6.4GB/s)
5. DRAM is the abbreviation for Dynamic Random Access Memory. DRAM is a type of semiconductor memory that both reads and writes information data needed by an electronic device. The data is stored for only brief moments. When device power is turned off the temporarily stored data is lost.
About Elpida
Elpida Memory, Inc. (Tokyo: 6665) is a leading manufacturer of Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) integrated circuits. The company's design, manufacturing and sales operations are backed by world class technological expertise. Its 300mm manufacturing facilities, consisting of its Hiroshima Plant and a Taiwan-based joint venture, Rexchip Electronics, utilize the most advanced manufacturing technologies available. Elpida's portfolio features such characteristics as high-density, high-speed, low power and small packaging profiles. The company provides DRAM solutions across a wide range of applications, including personal computers, servers, mobile devices and digital consumer electronics. More information can be found at http://www.elpida.com.
Mobile RAM is a trademark of Elpida Memory, Inc.
Information in this news release is current as of the timing of the release, but may be revised later without notice.