SanDisk, Toshiba team on 3D memory

Both SanDisk and Toshiba will contribute and cross license technology related to their new 3D collaboration and will jointly perform research and development to further the collaboration.

By Suzanne Deffree, Managing Editor, News -- Electronic News, 6/18/2008

Memory giants SanDisk Corp and Toshiba Corp have entered an agreement to jointly develop certain types of rewriteable 3D memory.

According to an SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) filing made Monday, the two companies inked the agreement on June 13.

Both SanDisk and Toshiba will contribute and cross license technology related to the 3D collaboration and will jointly perform research and development to further the 3D collaboration, the filing states.  Further, the filing states that as part of the licensing of its intellectual property, SanDisk will receive licensing payments from Toshiba.

Further details of the agreement were not disclosed.

The agreement builds on SanDisk and Toshiba’s three current NAND partnerships --FlashVision,  Flash Partners, and Flash Alliance -- that see the two companies team on the development and manufacture of NAND-flash memory products. SanDisk owns a 49.9% interest and Toshiba owns a 50.1% interest in each of the joint ventures. In February, the companies announced a planned fourth partnership and joint 300-mm fab.