Report: Flash capacity to overtake DRAM next year

Flash memory capacity is expected to surpass DRAM capacity, for the first time, in 2008, according a report by research firm Strategic Marketing Associates (SMA).

Flash memory capacity has grown more than fourfold to 2.9 million equivalent 200mm wafers a month since 2000 compared to the 225 percent growth of DRAM capacity, SMA said.

In the three year period from 2005 through the end of this year, flash manufacturers will add six times the capacity that they added in the preceding four years, according to the report. In addition, the industry is planning to bring ten more fabs online with a capacity when fully equipped of 1.5 million 200-mm equivalent wafers a month in 2008 and 2009.

"Alliances and Samsung are really driving the growth in flash capacity," said George Burns, president of SMA. "The Toshiba-SanDisk joint ventures have added more capacity recently than Samsung, Hynix and IMFlash combined."

The Toshiba-SanDisk JVs include Flash Vision, Flash Partners and Flash Alliance. Flash Alliance's Fab 4, which has just begun processing wafers, will have a capacity of more 210,000 300mm wafers a month when fully equipped.

"That's the biggest fab in the world," Burns noted. "It's equivalent to almost one half million 200mm wafers."

- Mark LaPedus
EE Times