Binx, Thanks for that important post about Toshiba.
A lot of exciting stuff in this article...
eet.com
NOR flash potential
Toshiba Corp., which is more closely identified with the NAND-type flash memory used in flash storage cards, recently announced its intention to up its stake in NOR flash used for code storage. The company intends to introduce 64- and 32-Mbit NOR-type flash devices as well as multichip packages that combine flash and SRAM.
Foundries and trade secrets
However, some suppliers, such as Fujitsu, are against the idea of using external foundries to boost production. "We're thinking we're going to have to consider a new [flash] factory, but we are not considering contracting out production to a foundry," Ogura said. "We're not exactly keen on exporting our processing know-how to foundries."
Dominion fab and Memory Stick
Toshiba is also considering stopping production of 4- and 8-Mbit devices next year, she added. That's partly because Toshiba doesn't want to fight it out with NOR heavy hitters Intel, AMD and Fujitsu, and also because the company is putting most of its memory capacity investments into NAND flash chips. The NAND chips are being used in such fast-growing memory cards as Sony's Memory Stick and Toshiba-backed cards like SmartMedia, as well as the newer SecureData card. Toshiba is now making 7 million 64-Mbit NAND devices monthly, and projects that by 2002 it will make 24 million a month. Much of the new production will come on stream by year's end when Toshiba converts its Dominion Semiconductor fab in Manassas, Va., from DRAM to NAND flash.
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