Samsung boosts smartphones with smarter Flash chips

MoviNand chips for smartphones are designed to be more efficient in operation

Samsung has announced new Flash memory components for smartphones designed to be more efficient and responsive, and which are the first in the industry fully compatible with the latest Jedec Embedded MultiMediaCard standard.

The 8GB and 16GB moviNand chips can operate more efficiently than previous memory devices thanks to new functions specified in the Embedded MultiMediaCard Product Standard v4.41, according to Samsung.

These features enable the memory to operate more flexibly. The chips can interrupt a write operation in order to respond more quickly to a read command from the processor, for example.

The new 4.41 interface standard achieves this via a high priority interrupt (HPI) and improved background operation features.

Because Nand Flash memory is organised in blocks, like a hard disk, it takes time to complete a write operation.

With HPI, if the host wants to execute an application or access data while the chip is writing, the host can send a command that interrupts the write operation, so the memory can respond to the latest command.

Background operation features also allow the chip to carry out functions such as garbage compaction when it is not being accessed, which reduces write latency, according to Samsung.

The company said it has already begun production of 8GB chips, and will begin producing 16GB devices this month.

"We have already been providing new solutions compatible with e-MMC v4.41 to a few key customers and getting a very positive response," said Seijin Kim, Samsung's vice president for Flash memory planning.

Later this year, Samsung also plans to deliver new ultra-thin multi-chip package components containing five chips, which will combine moviNand with mobile DRAM.