Features - Storage Innovations:

NEW 64 MBIT, 3V FLASH MEMORY CHIP FROM STMicroelectronics

STMicroelectronics has extended its M29 family of industry standard 3V Flash memories with a 64 Mbit device based on its latest 0.15um process. The M29DW640D, which is pin-compatible with competitive Flash memory chips, is well suited for use in cellular handsets, personal information devices, handheld personal computers, and GPS global positioning receivers.

The M29DW640D can be organized for 8-bit or 16-bit (word) I/O operation and its four banks, A, B, C, and D, contain 8, 24, 24, and 8 Mbits, respectively. Each of the two 8 Mbit banks contains eight parameter blocks. Pages are four words wide. In addition, each block can be erased independently, so it is possible to preserve valid data while old data is erased.

Other features of the M29DW640D include 25ns or 30ns page-read access times, optional 12V fast programming, five fast-program commands, and a 256-Byte extended memory block for storing security or other information. Using one of five fast-program commands, the memory chip's typical time for simultaneously programming up to eight adjacent bytes is 10usec.

"The introduction of this high density device further enriches ST's wide portfolio of Flash Standard devices. We believe it will make a significant contribution to ST's aim of increasing its penetration of the 3V mobile communication market, in addition to the possibility of creating stacked solutions together with SRAM and/or PSRAM memories in a single package," said Giuseppe Crisenza, vice-president of ST's Memory Product Group.

To extend battery-powered operating time in portable equipment, the M29DW640D draws no more than 20mA (max.) during program and erase operations, 10 mA (max.) during read operations, and 100uA (max.) when in standby mode. The M29DW640D has an endurance of 100,000 program/erase cycles per block and retains data for 20 years.

The 64 Mbit M29DW640D Flash memory chip operates from 2.7 to 3.6V and a choice of 70ns or 90ns random access times. Each version is available with either a 0 degrees to +70 degrees C or -40 degrees to +85 degrees operating temperature range.

The memory chip comes in a TSOP48 or FBGA63 packages. Samples are available now.