14 DAY TRIAL // Toshiba has announced that it has developed a new series of embedded NAND Flash memories for mobile phones that offer both a configurable single-level cell (SLC) memory area and a multi-level cell (MLC) memory area, allowing applications and data to be stored on the same chip. The new products will allow mobile phone manufacturers that have been using SLC NAND with a standard NAND interface in multi-chip packages to benefit from the lower cost and higher density advantages provided by MLC NAND.
Alongside a logical block address access controller, the new mobileLBA-NAND memories integrate a unique control function able to address both SLC and MLC. SLC supports high-speed data read and write and is suited to storing programs for mobile phone functions. In the new devices, manufacturers are free to allocate a part of the memory to SLC, with the MLC area being reserved for storing data. This design will allow developers to reduce the number of chips in a product, resulting in reduced space consumption and higher integration.
The mobileLBA-NAND series consists of five memory types ranging from 2 to 32 Gb (gigabits). The 2Gb, 4Gb and 8Gb versions can be allocated as SLC up to their full capacity, while the 16Gb and 32Gb versions can support up to 8Gb of SLC, offering manufacturers greater flexibility in allocating memory in their products.
The new memories also support a standard NAND flash interface, which means they can easily be introduced into current generations of products. The LBA controller carries out essential functions, such as writing block management and error code correction, which minimizes any changes in the host controller specification. As a result, the new memories offer product developers immediately applicable solutions for reducing development time and costs for new and upgraded products.
The first samples of the new mobileLBA-NAND memories from Toshiba will be available from August 2007.