Toshiba Produces 2GB Flash Memory

Toshiba Corp. said on Wednesday it will match rival Samsung Electronics March launch of the industry’s first 2-Gigabyte NAND flash chip by mass-producing a chip with as much storage a month later. Toshiba, which aims to take a combined 40 percent market share with partner SanDisk Corp. by 2008, will begin by shipping samples of its 2-Gigabyte chips in March, using 56-nanometre process technology, and plans monthly shipments of 300,000 chips from April.

Cutting edge 50- and 56-nanometre microchips have smaller gaps between transistors than 60- or 70-nanometre ones, meaning more power can be packed into less space for lower per chip costs. Toshiba also expects to begin mass production of 1-Gigabyte NAND chips using 70-nanometre processes by the end of January. Continue>>