Elpida joins IMEC for sub-50-nm DRAM R&D

By Colleen Taylor -- Electronic News, 3/14/2007

Japan-based DRAM supplier Elpida Memory Inc. announced today it has entered into a multi-year partnership with Europe-based independent nanoelectronics research center IMEC to perform research and development for beyond 50-nm DRAM process generations.

With this agreement, four of the top five leading DRAM suppliers -- including Elpida, Micron, Samsung and Qimonda -- are collaborating within IMEC's global research platform.

Starting April 1, a team of Elpida researchers will collaborate closely with IMEC's researchers to "build up fundamental understanding and to develop robust solutions" for front-end-of-line memory technologies to perform research and development for sub-50-nm DRAM process generations, Elpida said in a statement.

"R&D cost and the challenges to develop beyond 50-nm DRAM process generations are increasing at rapid pace requiring research partnerships to ensure competitive time-to-market of new products," Yukio Sakamoto, president and CEO of Elpida, said in a statement. "By joining IMEC's large network of partners including the leading memory suppliers, we will be able to maintain our strong position in the DRAM market."