Intel starts producing 1Gbit flash memory

Intel has launched what it claims is "the industry's first volume shipments" of 65nm NOR flash memory products.

The multi-level cell (MLC) products — which include a 1Gbit 65nm flash chip — began shipping from Intel's plant in Seoul, South Korea, on Wednesday. The 65nm monolithic parts, intended for use in mobile phones, are an industry first, the company claimed in a statement.

They are based on Intel's StrataFlash Cellular Memory architecture and are drop-in compatible with Intel's high-volume, 90nm-based flash chips, the company said.

Intel is aiming the chips at multimedia phones, cameras and videos and any device requiring high-speed data transfers. The company says the new parts have fast read speeds "of up to 133 MHz" as well as write speeds of up to 1.0MB/sec — twice as fast as Intel's previous product.

Intel should find a ready market for the chip in the latest phones that demand large and fast memories such as the Sony Ericsson W950i, which has an impressive 4GB of flash memory.

Intel's 1Gbit 65nm NOR flash chip, which it claims is an industry first