Hitachi Announced "superAND Type Flash Memory",
Flash Memory with Built-in Memory Control Function For the First Time In the Industry
—- Easy-to-use compact memory for data storage for mobile phones and PDA at reasonable price —

128-Mbit superAND type flash memory

Left:HN29A128A(CSP) Center:HN29A128A(TSOP-I) Right:HN29V128A(TSOP-I)

Tokyo, April 2, 2002 — Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501) today announced "superAND type flash memory" suitable for portable devices such as mobile phones and PDA. This new AND type flash memory has dramatically improved the easy-to-use feature by incorporating a memory control function in the flash memory for the first time in the industry, and also achieved a compact size and a reasonable price. For the initial release, Hitachi is releasing a total of four types, "HN29V128A (3.3V type)" and "HN29A128A (1.8V type) series of 128M bits (16M bytes). Sample shipment will begin from June 2002 in Japan.

Flash memory defective sectors are normally controlled by an external controller or a hardware/software on the equipment installed. This product incorporates a flash memory defective sector control*¹ function within the flash memory for the first time in the industry and, achieving 100% full operation of the memory area after shipment. Also with built-in wear leveling function*² this product facilitates system design using flash memory. By design optimization, increase of chip size was minimized to only a few percent of Hitachi's conventional monolithic flash memory, enabling a compact size and reasonable price.

Hitachi is aiming at introduction of this "superAND type flash memory" as a de facto standard to be used as embedded data storage memory for portable devices.

[Background]

Recently, the sizes of memory units installed in portable equipment such as mobile phones and PDA are expanding with the increase of the amount of information due to multifunctionality and increase of distribution of various contents. However, to use the AND type flash memory that is suitable for data storage as embedded memory, complicated problems must be resolved such as designing a new complicated control system for flash memory for defective sector control or use of the memory with a controller for memory control.

Hitachi developed "superAND type flash memory" that achieved improved operability and compact size by incorporating a memory control function in the AND type flash memory while minimizing the chip size increase to a few percent, based on the technology that was developed through controller development of flash card such as CompactFlash^TM*³ and MultiMediaCard^TM*⁴.

[About these products]

For the initial release, the "HN29V128A (3.3 V type)" and "HN29A128A (1.8 V type)" Series of 128 M bits (16 M bytes), which were announced as the first release, use 0.18 m process multi-level cell flash memory process, achieving large capacity and compact size features by application of multi-level cell technology*⁵. The optimization design achieved the memory control function on-chip installation within a compact size. The main features are as follows.

1. Dramatic improvement of operability

• Built-in memory control function for the first time in the flash memory industry
  Conventional AND type flash memory contains maximum 2% of defector sectors at shipment. Defective sectors may occur in any conventional flash memory after shipment and these defective sectors need to be controlled by hardware or software on the equipment installation side, or a controller needs to be installed.
  The "superAND type flash memory" incorporates a defective sector control function in the flash memory for the first time in the industry. Even if abnormality occurs in some sectors during operation, the flash memory detects defects and automatically replaces defective sectors with reserved sectors.
  In this way, a 100% full operation of a memory area is achieved regardless of before or after shipment within the life span, utilizing a design of a system that incorporates flash memory.
• Built-in ware leveling function (flash life span stretching )
  Since chips become fragile if writing is concentrated on the same section, the function automatically replaces data and addresses with areas that are less used for rewriting when rewriting to some area reach a certain count. The built-in ware leveling function can increase the life span of rewriting of flash memory.
• Support of a Power On Read function (2K bytes size)
  When a system is started by turning on the power, data up to 2K bytes can be read by controlling two control lines (CB pin and RB pin) without inputting any command or address.
• Support of a deep standby function
  A deep standby function is supported for portable electronic equipment that requires extreme power supply control. At deep standby, the current can be reduced to 5 micro A.
• Lineup of two types of operation voltages and bus width
  Operation voltages of 3.3 V (HN29V128A) and 1.8 V (HN29A28A) and bus widths of x 8 bits (3.3 V type only) and x 16 bits are available, enabling selection of a product suitable for system design.

2. Compact size and reasonable price

• The optimization design of the controller section achieved on-chip installation of a memory control function by a mere few percent of size increase, thereby achieving a compact size. For the memory cells, Hitachi's high cost competitive 0.18 μm process multi-level cell AND type flash memory is used, providing large capacity memory at a reasonable price.

Since the NAND type interface is used, the product can be made compatible to the systems that use the existing NAND type flash memory with small software modifications.

The product uses a 48-pin TSOP type 1 as the package. The product of operation voltage 1.8 V and x 16 bits is also equipped with a smaller 72- bump CSP (HN29A128A0ABP-80).

<Typical Applications >

• Mobile phones
• Portable information terminals such as PDA
• Portable image equipment such as digital camera

More Details: http://global.hitachi.com/New/cnews/E/2002/0402/index.html