Summary
- 4DS Memory announced encouraging results from the Second Non-Platform Lot. The results showed that the First Lot results could be repeated.
- The findings from the Second Non-Platform Lot were included in process requirements for Second Platform Lot.
- From 27 January 2021, the Second Platform production started at imec, with results likely in the second quarter of 2021.
Semiconductor developer 4DS Memory Limited (ASX:4DS) announced favourable results from the Second Lot. In June last year, the Company had announced the Additional Wafers Lot results. The first Lot was the Non-Platform Lot of 300mm wafers and was fabricated with process condition contributions from Western Digital and imec.
Despite the positive results, 4DS shares fell on the ASX today and were trading 12.245% lower at A$0.215 (at AEDT 01:19 PM).
Let us know more about the Additional Wafers Lot and the positive results from the non-platform lot.
About the speed and endurance in the Additional Wafers Lot
As per 24 June 2020 ASX announcement, 4DS found that the additional wafer lot has maximum speed plus endurance. Below were the findings noted by the Company:
- The top recorded speed at close to DRAM speed beats Storage Class Memory needs without speed crippling error correction requirement.
- Endurance is 2 to 3 times better than what was reported before. The real endurance might be considerably better. However, the persistence does not quantify in the present times due to existing lab time plus test equipment capability.
- 4DS also measured retention. The outcome for the same is secret to 4DS and its partners until the higher ends of retention are precisely more well-defined.
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4DS announces positive 2nd Non-Platform Lot results (Image Source: 4DS Presentation November 2020)
About the Second Non-Platform Lot
Following the update provided on 20 January 2021, the Company concluded the testing of the Second Non-Platform Lot and reported the below data from the Second Non-Platform Lot:
- The Company founded that it has been able to repeat the results for each of the important memory attributes like speed, endurance, and retention that were attained with the First Non-Platform Lot.
- Out of the 21 devices, 19 of them were functional. The two non-functional wafers were the outcome of being built outside the imec process window.
- The Second Non-Platform lot provides 4DS with more useful insights into changes in key process factors could affect these key memory features. Precisely, 4DS could understand about which changes increase influences which memory feature.
What next?
The Second Non-Platform Lot findings were integrated into the process split requirements for the Second Platform Lot of 300mm wafers. The Second Platform Lot uses the memory platform of imec and contains dense memory arrays with the control logic that is needed to read and write particular bits and bytes.
Further, the production of the Second Platform Lot started from 27 January 2021 at imec. Possibly, the Company would assess these wafers in the second quarter of 2021.
Benefits of the results for the Second Platform Lot
- Paves the way for the Company and its partners to pursue their strategic objective of fabricating wafers with chips. These chips operate as fully functional megabit memory.
- If 4DS becomes successful in this direction, it will bring 4DS near 2021 goals to attain a potential corporate transaction.
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