Often, computer technology required to store information that does not change during operation of the device. Examples of static data structures can serve as a program in microcontrollers, boot loaders to computers or coefficients of digital filters in the signal processor. The most effective in terms of implementation and the ultimate cost way to store such information are mask-only memories (MROM). mask ROM are the cheapest type semiconductor memory.
However, the rapid development of computer technology not only requires storing an increasing amount of information, but also the possibility of quick access to it. Reducing the memory access requires an increase in the area of individual cells, which consequently deprives the mask ROM their main advantages. Managed to achieve a solution to the problem , Toshiba engineers have created a chip MROM with multilevel cell.
Area multilevel cell area twice the standard, single-level, with the channel width of the transistor is increased threefold. Accordingly, these improvements have resulted in faster memory access, while the density of the chips is not changed as it became possible to record in a cell several bits of information. Toshiba is also able to reduce the variation in production by 42%.
The new chips will be manufactured MROM on 40-nm technology. Their volume shipments will begin next year.