Mitsubishi's New 256-Megabit, Multilevel, AND Flash Memory Provides Industry's Largest Capacity Media Storage.SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 24, 1998-- Multilevel mul·ti·lev·el adj. Having several levels: a multilevel parking garage. Adj. 1. multilevel - of a building having more than one level Technology Doubles Memory Cell Capacity, Resulting in Significantly Improved Price/Performance for Consumer Product Manufacturers The Electronic Device Group of Mitsubishi Electronics America Inc. announced a new 256-megabit (Mb) multilevel AND flash memory, the largest capacity flash memory device available in the industry. The multilevel cell technology doubles memory cell capacity, resulting in significantly improved price/performance for large-capacity media storage applications including digital cameras, hard disk drive replacement, and audio storage. The device was jointly developed with Hitachi Ltd. Replacing large-capacity storage media in information-related products with flash memory cards has become increasingly popular in recent years. With the expansion of the digital camera and handheld personal computer markets, demand has grown for flash devices such as CompactFlash(tm) and PC-ATA(a). Flashmemory is increasingly replacing hard disk drives in industrial and communications equipment because it simplifies part replacement and closely follows the industry trend toward more miniaturized systems that consume less power. Mitsubishi's 256-Mb AND flash memory will support higher-resolution recordings and longer recording times for digital audio recorders. For example, two 256-Mb AND flash memory devices, used together, have enough capacity to store one hour of Compact Disc-quality audio data. Mitsubishi's new 256-Mb AND flash memory utilizes multilevel technology, which increases data storage capacity to 2 bits per cell by using four threshold levels (00/01/10/11). Traditional flash technologies use only two threshold levels per cell (0/1), which limits their storage capacity to 1 bit per cell. "By doubling available capacity in the same cell area, multilevel cell flash technology will significantly improve the price/performance of flash memory," said Narayan Purohit, assistant vice president of memory products at Mitsubishi Electronics America. "This will result in significant cost reductions for consumer product manufacturers." Featuring a 32-megaword by 8-bit organization, Mitsubishi's 256-Mb AND flash memory device will operate with either a 3.3-volt or 5-volt power supply. The program/erase unit is a 2048-byte sector and typical program/erase time is 1-msec per sector. First access time is 50 usec and serial access time is 50 nsec. At 3.3 volts, the device will offer typical standby, read, and program/erase currents of 1 uA, 20 mA, and 20 mA, respectively; and at 5 volts: 2 uA, 30 mA, and 30 mA, respectively. Packaging, Availability, and Pricing Mitsubishi's 256-Mb AND memory will be available in a 48-pin thin small outline package (TSOP (Thin Small Outline Package) A very thin, plastic, rectangular surface mount chip package with gull-wing pins on its two short sides. TSOPs are about a third as thick as SOJ chips. See gull-wing lead, SOP, SOJ and chip package. ). Scheduled availability for samples is December 1998, with volume production expected in 1999. (a) PC-ATA is actually PC Card ATA (1) (AT Attachment) The specification for IDE drives. See IDE. (2) See analog telephone adapter. ATA - Advanced Technology Attachment specifications. The Advanced Technology attachment (storage, hardware, standard) Advanced Technology Attachment - (ATA, AT Attachment or "Integrated Drive Electronics", IDE) A disk drive interface standard based on the IBM PC ISA 16-bit bus but also used on other personal computers. (ATA) is a set of card specifications established by the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (body, hardware, standard) Personal Computer Memory Card International Association - (PCMCIA, or "PC Card") An international trade association and the standards they have developed for devicies, such as modems and external hard disk drives, that can be plugged into notebook (PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association, San Jose, CA, www.pcmcia.org) An international standards body and trade association that was founded in 1989 to establish a standard for connecting peripherals to portable computers. PCMCIA created the PC Card. See PC Card. ). About Mitsubishi Electric Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (三菱電機株式会社 and Mitsubishi Electronics America Ranked among the world's top 10 semiconductor suppliers, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (www.mitsubishichips.com) is a world-class supplier of flash memories for mobile communications, computing, networking, and large capacity nonvolatile storage Noun 1. nonvolatile storage - computer storage that is not lost when the power is turned off non-volatile storage flash memory - nonvolatile storage that can be electrically erased and programmed anew applications. Mitsubishi Electric combines its systems-level expertise and high-level silicon process technology to provide chip, chipset and system-on-chip solutions. The company offers an extensive range of semiconductor-based products in markets worldwide, including microcontrollers and microprocessors, ASICs, memory ICs and modules. Mitsubishi markets its flash memory products in North America North America, third largest continent (1990 est. pop. 365,000,000), c.9,400,000 sq mi (24,346,000 sq km), the northern of the two continents of the Western Hemisphere. through the Electronic Device Group of Mitsubishi Electronics America Inc. Trademark Information CompactFlash is a registered trademark SanDisk Corporation, and is licensed to the CompactFlash Association (CompactFlash Association, Palo Alto, CA, www.compactflash.org) A membership organization founded in 1995 by SanDisk, Canon, Motorola, HP and others. Its goal is to promote CompactFlash as the premier open standard for storage for digital appliances and handheld devices. See CompactFlash. (CFA (Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986) Signed into law in 1986, the CFA was a significant step forward in criminalizing unauthorized access to computer systems and networks. The Act applies to "federal interest computers" that include any system used by the U.S. ).
CONTACT: Mitsubishi Electronics America, Inc.
John Garner, 408/774-3191
garner_john@edg.mea.com
or
KVO Public Relations
Lori Higa, 650/919-2059
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