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Intel And Micron Call It Quits On Bleeding Edge Memory Development Collaboration

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Intel and Micron have been collaborating for years on various memory technologies, including NAND flash memory and the bleeding-edge 3D Xpoint memory currently used on Intel’s Optane-branded products.

A few months back, the companies jointly announced that their collaboration on NAND flash memory had come to an end, but that they would continue to work on 3D Xpoint memory, which many believe could have a major impact on PC and server architectures moving forward.

An Intel Optane DC Persistent Memory Module.

Intel

3D Xpoint is an interesting technology because it offers many of the benefits of both DRAM and NAND flash memory. 3D Xpoint is a non-volatile memory type, which can offer significantly better performance than NAND flash memory, but at access time closer to DRAM. 3D XPoint is also more durable than traditional NAND flash memory (i.e. it has better endurance), but with similar capability to scale in density. A large pool of 3D Xpoint, for example, could replace both the DRAM and legacy storage hardware in a system and offer massive performance gains – if the system was architected to fully exploit the benefits of the technology.

When it was initially announced publicly in 2015, Intel and Micron claimed that 3D XPoint was 1000x faster than NAND, with 1000x the endurance, and 10x the density potential of DRAM. The two companies have continued working on the technology, and are close to wrapping the development of the second generation, but the collaborative relationship will be coming to an end in 2019, when they’re projected to be done.

The Intel Optane SSD 905P Leverages 3D Xpoint Memory Technology.

Intel

In two separate press releases, both Intel and Micron stated that 3D Xpoint technology development beyond the second generation of the technology will be performed independently. According to the releases, the two companies have divergent business needs for 3D Xpoint and will optimize the next generation of the technology for different applications.

“Micron has a strong track record of innovation with 40 years of world-leading expertise in memory technology development, and we will continue driving the next generations of 3D XPoint technology,” said Scott DeBoer, executive vice president of Technology Development at Micron. “We are excited about the products that we are developing based on this advanced technology, which will allow our customers to take advantage of unique memory and storage capabilities. By developing 3D XPoint technology independently, Micron can better optimize the technology for our product roadmap while maximizing the benefits for our customers and shareholders.”

The two companies will continue to manufacture memory based on 3D XPoint technology at the Intel-Micron Flash Technologies (IMFT) facility in Lehi, Utah, however.