Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

SoylentNews is powered by your submissions, so send in your scoop. Only 18 submissions in the queue.
posted by Fnord666 on Sunday October 21 2018, @01:44AM   Printer-friendly
from the micro-investment dept.

What Next for 3D XPoint? Micron to Buy Intel's Share in 3D XPoint Fab

Micron on Thursday announced plans to acquire Intel's stake in IM Flash Technologies, a joint venture between the two companies. IM Flash owns a fab near Lehi, Utah, which is the only producer of 3DXPoint memory that Intel uses for its premium Optane-branded solid-state storage products. Once the transaction is completed, Intel will have to ink a supply agreement with Micron to get 3D XPoint memory after the current agreement finishes at the end of 2019. This will have important ramifications for Intel's 3D XPoint-based portfolio.

Under the terms of the joint venture agreement between Intel and Micron signed in 2005, the latter controls 51% of company and has a right to acquire the remaining share under certain conditions. Intel already sold Micron its stakes in IM Flash fabs in Singapore and Virginia back in 2012, which left IM Flash with only one production facility near Lehi, Utah (pictured below). The fab is used exclusively to produce 3D XPoint memory right now.

[...] While Intel will continue to obtain 3D XPoint from IM Flash until at least mid-2020, there is a big catch. The two companies are set to finish development of their 2nd Gen 3D XPoint [sometime] in the second or the third quarter of calendar 2019. The joint development takes place in IM Flash R&D facilities and the design is tailored for the IM Flash fab and jointly-developed process technology. Therefore, the transaction may potentially affect Intel's ramp up plans for the 2nd Gen 3D XPoint memory. In fact, Intel can manufacture 3D XPoint memory at Fab 68 in Dalian, China, the company said earlier this year. However, since the fab is busy making 3D NAND, Intel may have to adjust its production plans for both types of memory.

Related: Intel and Micron Boost 3D XPoint Production
Intel Announces 3D XPoint Persistent Memory DIMMs
Micron: 96-Layer 3D NAND Coming, 3D XPoint Sales Disappoint


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 1) by DECbot on Sunday October 21 2018, @03:21PM (3 children)

    by DECbot (832) on Sunday October 21 2018, @03:21PM (#751674) Journal

    Thanks for posting articles like this, I find it quite interesting as I once worked at a Micron facility.
     
    I wonder what drove them to buyout Intel? If it is to price gouge customers on the XPoint product, I think Micron will have troubles finding customers. It would make more sense if Micron is buying IMFT strictly for control of the Lehi fab so they could produce more units of traditional products at that fab and completely drop the XPoint product.

    --
    cats~$ sudo chown -R us /home/base
  • (Score: 2) by takyon on Sunday October 21 2018, @07:48PM (1 child)

    by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Sunday October 21 2018, @07:48PM (#751753) Journal

    https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/10/19/micron_buy_out_intel_flash_joint_venture/ [theregister.co.uk]

    https://www.thestreet.com/technology/micron-s-plans-to-buy-out-intel-s-jv-stake-strengthen-its-data-center-hand-14751396 [thestreet.com]

    They had the option available and are taking it.

    Intel's out here getting that Big Bang Theory actor to promote 3D XPoint in television commercials. But consumer awareness or interest in XPoint is low. Micron skipped the first generation of the technology and will probably focus on enterprise customers more.

    Too bad XPoint is not the magical post-NAND technology [regmedia.co.uk] we were dreaming of. Just another tier sandwiched uncomfortably between NAND and DRAM.

    --
    [SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
    • (Score: 1) by DECbot on Monday October 22 2018, @07:01AM

      by DECbot (832) on Monday October 22 2018, @07:01AM (#751891) Journal

      I see a spot for XPoint in enterprise for swap, database cache, ZFS L2ARC, and such where you're maxed out the ram on the motherboard, but you're not ready for replacing the motherboard. However, since that is such a small market in comparison to NAND, the point of my previous post, I think Micron will repurpose the Lehi fab to increase capacity for NAND flash and let XPoint go to the wayside. They'll likely let Intel continue to produce XPoint, but it will be done at Intel's fabs. Since the market is so small for XPoint, Micron will not risk competing against Intel on a lackluster product.

      --
      cats~$ sudo chown -R us /home/base
  • (Score: 2) by takyon on Monday October 22 2018, @05:31PM

    by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Monday October 22 2018, @05:31PM (#752050) Journal

    https://www.anandtech.com/show/13502/intel-micron-imft [anandtech.com]

    Micron’s statement is a pre-announcement. They can’t officially make the call until January 1, 2019. The operation of the IMFT factory would not change until after the close of the call, which is at Intel’s discretion for up to one year. There is no near-term change to Intel’s plans in the coming quarters—this has been part of our planning for some time now. Intel has a number of manufacturing options available to us within the time window. We’ve been shipping a broad portfolio of Intel Optane technology products for over a year with a continually expanding product line. We will continue to lead the industry with this exciting new technology.

    --
    [SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]