Infineon claims tiny Gbit chip breakthrough

GERMAN MEMORY firm Infineon claimed that samples of a one Gigabit DDR chip it is sampling is the smallest memory chip of its type.

The 1Gbit DRAM chip is 160mm2 but is packaged in a standard 66 pin notebook package (TSOP) or a ball grid array package.

Infineon will use a stacked version of its packaging to produce 4GB registered memory modules, it said. This piggybacks one memory on top of the other and gives good electrical and thermal properties, it said.

The 1Gbit chips are likely to be used in high end servers and workstations, and in combination modules that will give 4GB and 2GB densities.

The size will also allow Infineon to offer 2GB and 1GB density modules for notebooks using the so-called SO-DIMM packaging.

Volume production starts early next year, the firm said. µ