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Samsung has fortified its research and development arm in the increasingly competitive battle for market share in the solid-state memory sector.
Samsung Electronics Co. on Aug. 2 announced the acquisition of Grandis, a 9-year-old firm that makes STT-RAM (spin-transfer torque random-access memory). Terms of the deal were not released.
Grandis will be merged into Samsung’s R&D operations focused on developing the next generation of random-access memory, in which new semiconductor materials and structures are reviewed for their long-term commercial value, Samsung said.
Grandis will contribute to Samsung’s continued development of memory semiconductors and become part of the company’s global R&D network, Samsung said.
Grandis’ proprietary STT-RAM has all the characteristics of what the company calls “an ideal universal memory” for IT devices that could eventually replace first-generation, field-switched MRAM (magnetic random-access memory).
Also known as STT-MRAM or SpinRAM, STT-RAM synthesizes nonvolatile, low-power consumption, ultra-fast read and write speed, unlimited endurance, and extendability beyond the now-standard 32nm semiconductor node. Samsung claims that it offers system designers the ability to develop products with high performance and that use less power.
Grandis was established in 2002 and is headquartered in Milpitas, Calif.