Qimonda could sell its Inotera stake and focus on specialty DRAM etc. it's going to be hard to compete in commodity DRAM and it's going to drag down Nanya who needs a stronger partner.
1.) Nanya is lagging in regards to die size 8F2 vesus 6F2
2.) Copper will be mandatory @ 65nm and below (at least according to DRAM interconnect roadmap); Micron is the only memory guy that runs copper in production for some time
3.) Micron, Sammy and Hynicks all settled on stack capacitor versus trench capacitor; not sure about Elpida but Qimonda seems to be the only one that still banks on trench
4.) Nanya got leap frogged 512Mb versus 1Gb; what I recall backend testing is significantly less for higher density
Done deal - now it's long awaited.
Pay attention ...
Message 24366350
They going to retool BIG time to copper;
this is one of those BIG projects LRCX and Varian have "penciled" in going forward...
Micron nearing deal to buy Qimonda JV stake
Mark LaPedus
EE Times
(08/01/2008 10:20 AM EDT)
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Micron Technology Inc.'s long-awaited move to buy Qimonda AG's stake in Inotera Memories Inc. could be near, according to an analyst.
Rumors are running rampant about Micron's intentions. Taiwan's Nanya Technology Corp. and Germany's Qimonda have a joint DRAM manufacturing venture in Taiwan called Inotera. That venture appears to be in limbo.
Micron recently entered into a separate R&D and DRAM venture with Taiwanese memory rival Nanya, which, turn, raises questions about the Qimonda-Nanya alliance.
That venture, MeiYa Technology Corp., is DRAM joint venture between Micron and Nanya. It appears Micron will also take over the Inotera venture with Nanya.
''Our checks continue to suggest that some form of deal that will allow Micron to take Qimonda's place in the Inotera manufacturing joint venture with Nanya is close to being consummated,'' said Daniel Berenbaum, an analyst with SG Cowen Securities Inc., in a report.
''Even if Micron has to purchase Qimonda's shares directly at a big premium to market price, it would allow a capex cut, lower unit costs, increase DRAM bit growth, and provide a royalty revenue stream,'' he said.
Next week, Micron is expected to host its analysts day. According to Berenbaum, Micron is expected to address the following issues:
*Industry supply/demand dynamics for memory. ''We expect both NAND and DRAM to remain in oversupply through H109,'' he said.
*The long-awaited CMOS image sensor spinoff, ''which may finally be close to getting done,'' he said. The Boise, Idaho, chip maker recently set the stage for a possible spinout of its CMOS image sensor business by transforming its sensor business unit into an independent division. That entity, Aptina Imaging, will be free to seek manufacturing alliances with outside foundries. The captive business unit had relied solely on Micron for its manufacturing needs.
*Options and ramp plans for the IM Flash NAND JV with Intel. IM Flash is a joint NAND production venture between Micron and Intel. ''Intel appears disappointed with profitability of JV and may be looking to exit or reduce its stake,'' he said.
Rumors are running rampant that Seagate Technology may buy Intel's stake in IM Flash. On one hand, Intel's margins are taking a hit due to the NAND downturn.
But Intel and Micron have recently leapfrogged the competition and claimed the technical lead in the NAND flash memory market. Reportedly moving ahead of Toshiba, Samsung and others in the process race, the Intel-Micron duo have introduced the industry's first sub-40-nm NAND flash device, by rolling out 34-nm, 32-gigabit (Gbit) multi-level cell (MLC) chip. Previously, the leading-edge NAND device from Intel and Micron was a 50-nm part.
Separately, the company also announced today the appointment of Mark Adams to the position of vice president of worldwide sales. Adams, formerly Micron's vice president of Digital Media, joined Micron in 2006 with the company's acquisition of Lexar Media Inc. Adams replaces Mike Sadler, who has accepted a new role in the office of the president for MeiYa. |
