Samsung announced the industry's first multi-chip package (MCP) with PRAM - for use in mobile handsets, beginning later this quarter. The 512 megabit Samsung PRAM in the MCP is backward compatible with 40 nanometer-class NOR flash memory in both its hardware and software functionality, allowing mobile handset designers the convenience of having multi-chip packaging fully compatible with past stand-alone PRAM chip technology. PRAM is expected to be widely embraced by next year as the successor to NOR flash in consumer electronics designs to become a major memory technology.

PRAM, which stores data via the phase change characteristics of its base material, an alloy of germanium, antimony and titanium, provides three-times faster data storage performance per word than NOR chips. This new PRAM-packaged memory combines the nonvolatile nature of flash memory with the high-speed capability of DRAM. Its simple cell structure makes designing MCP chips for handsets a faster and easier process. As a replacement for NOR, PRAM can more easily accommodate the growing demand for high-speed, high-density nonvolatile memory in mobile phones and other mobile applications such as MP3 players, personal multimedia players and navigational devices.

"Memories for portable consumer devices today are at a major turning point as mobile applications increasingly require more diverse memory technologies," said Dong-soo Jun, executive vice president, Memory Sales and Marketing, Samsung Electronics. "The launch of our PRAM in an advanced MCP solution for the replacement of 40nm-class and finer geometry NOR meets this need head-on. Our PRAM MCP will not only enable handset designers to utilize conventional platforms, but expedite the introduction of LPDDR2 DRAM and next-generation PRAM technology as the leading-edge basis for high-performance solutions.”
[Via Samsung]