Samsung doffed the silk off its latest offering the 1GHz ARM CORTEX A9-based dual-core application processor, codenamed Orion. At the same seventh annual Samsung Mobile Solutions Forum, the company revealed its 8GB and 16GB moviNAND embedded memory chips. These can be used in smartphones and are touted to be the first in the industry to be accredited with the newest e-MMC specification, the JEDEC’s Embedded MultiMediaCard Product Standard v4.41.
It claims to be better than the previous solutions created with the e-MMC 4.4 specification as it offers features which augment its ability to respond to the host or the application processor. Initially, the e-MMC 4.4 interface allowed designers to flexibly use partitioning storage. For one they can utilize the single-level cell (SLC) area for high speed operations, whereas the multi-level cell (MLC) region for high density data storage. However, now the new e-MMC 4.41 interface standard lets chips use a user experience which has been considerably improved and updated along with a high priority interrupt (HPI) and augmented background operation functions.
“We have already been providing new moviNAND solutions compatible with e-MMC v4.41 to a few key customers and getting a very positive response from them,” said Seijin Kim, vice president, Flash Memory Planning/Enabling, Samsung Electronics. “These solutions are consistent with our commitment to provide a diversity of technologies for embedded memory to enhance its user-friendliness, in contributing to the rapid growth of the smartphone market.”
The latest Samsung moviNAND chips keep latency to the minimum as it adheres to the latest standardized features. When, the Samsung embedded memory is not being used the host can order it to carry out background operations like garbage compaction. Along with these chips, the company unveils its ultra-thin five chip MCP (multi-chip package) solutions measuring just an mm as compared to the currently used four-chip MCPs which have a height of 1.15mm. This MCP can be procured along with mobile DRAM. It will be available by the end of 2010, to be used in mobile apps which are used with high multimedia workload like smartphones.
The 8GB moviNAND is already under production from late July, featuring 30 nanometer class 32-gigabit NAND flash chips. Samsung plans to produce 16GB moviNAND using 20nm-class 32Gb NAND flash from this month. The company is planning to substitute its 32Gb NAND flash chips with 20nm-class 32Gb NAND chips in upcoming moviNAND products by late this year.