Macronix’s NAND flash memory passes AEC-Q100 compliance
After passing all the stringent AEC-Q100 reliability standards, Macronix’s NAND flash memory makes it the first AEC-Q100 full compliant NAND Flash product supplier for automotive applications, claims the company.
The AEC-Q100 Grade 2/3 compliant NAND Flash memory is expected to find a place in the automotive marketplace as vehicles’ entertainment system, smart dashboards and clusters, and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) make way for new technologies such as smart cars, internet of vehicles (IoVs), and the autonomous car. Macronix says that extending these trends in the future, each vehicle may resemble an individual artificial intelligence server and the demand for high reliable memory products will increase.
Macronix’s NAND Flash adopts its patented 36nm semiconductor manufacturing technology that overcomes the short life cycle deficiency of NAND flash, which typically occurs with shrinking semiconductor technology nodes, or technology with multiple bits stored in each cell. Test results indicate that the more bits stored within a single memory cell, the lower the number of program/erase cycles, decreasing the product’s reliability. Patented manufacturing technologies and circuit design intellectual property (IP), are claimed to be responsible for making Macronix’s series of NAND flash memory “very efficient”. The single bit per cell floating gate technology used is fast and reliable, says Macronix, and meets the requirements of high memory capacity, fast transmission rates as well as the highest reliability for automotive use. Typically, Macronix’s NAND flash memory is capable of storing data for at least 10 years or 100,000 programming times, surpassing current JEDEC standards.
Macronix NAND flash family is offered in one to 8.0Gbit densities, supporting both serial peripheral interface (SPI) and parallel interface. Operating temperature ranges from -40 to +105 degree C. Macronix also reports “significantly improved reliability” compared to the conventional +85 degree C chip specification currently available.
Due to the stringent limitations of NAND flash memory’s temperature compensation and work voltage, the extended operation temperature range of Macronix’s automotive NAND flash memory provides extra flexibility towards the NAND flash memory’s data retention. The memory is claimed to offer an advantage in fanless applications, which is becoming increasingly common in space-constrained automotive applications.
Macronix’s NAND flash is offered in both 1.8 and 3.0V power supply options. Macronix also offers 4-bit error correction code (ECC) and ECC-free versions to satisfy different specifications and functional requirements.
This series NAND flash is produced in Macronix’s 12-inch fab (Fab
5) in the Hsinchu Science Park, Taiwan. Having its own 12-inch fab facility, enables Macronix to closely and directly monitor its production capacity and manufacturing progress in real-time.
