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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


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  • (Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Sunday October 21 2018, @04:29PM

    by MichaelDavidCrawford (2339) Subscriber Badge <mdcrawford@gmail.com> on Sunday October 21 2018, @04:29PM (#751701) Homepage Journal

    That box is slow as molasses. However it has two Thunderbolt 2 ports. Or when the AppleCare expires I could put in an internal SATA.

    I use my mini for coding drivers because they never take long to compile. I use my MacBook Pro to test them because it boots so fast - it's storage is flash on a PCIe card.

    I just have to sing on the street until I get enough tips. When I sing I make roughly six bucks an hour. I figure I'll make more once I learn to plan my keyboard while singing. I can sing, I can play piano but I can't sing and play piano at the same time. But that is a skill one can learn.

    --
    Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
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