Qimonda - Products and Achievements

Products and Achievements

Qimonda produced computing and consumer DRAM, graphics RAM, mobile RAM and Flash memory.

Qimonda was primarily reliant on its Deep Trench technology in comparison to the stack capacitor systems of its rival manufacturers. Deep Trench has the benefit of a theoretically smaller footprint than its stack capacitor rival. With approximately one-third lower power consumption due to lower leakage currents, its natural advantages lie in mobile and laptop applications where power supply is a limiting factor. Although offering significant advantages, deep trench technology is technically difficult to manufacture and has led to slippage of Qimonda's technology shrink roadmap in comparison to many of its rivals in recent years.

In 2008, Qimonda announced the development of its Buried Wordline Technology. Retaining many of the advantages of Deep Trench technology, in theory it simplifies the manufacturing process and the time provided Qimonda with a competitive technology shrink roadmap.

Qimonda was among the first DRAM suppliers to transition a substantial portion of the manufacturing to 300 mm technology. Approximately 2/3 of the DRAM bits shipped were manufactured using 300 mm wafers by February 2007. All 200 mm manufacturing ended by January 2009.

On September 18, 2006 Qimonda AG along with Nanya Technology Corporation announced the successful qualification of the 75 nm DRAM trench technology. Process structures of 75 nm further reduce chip size compared to the previous 90 nm technology thereby increasing potential chip output per wafer by about 40 percent.

On November 1, 2007 Qimonda AG announced shipment of first GDDR5 samples.

On February 3, 2009 Qimonda AG announced the first 46 nm working production chips using its Buried Wordline technology, fabricated at its Dresden 300 mm plant.