Intel Corp. said Tuesday that the joint-venture Intel-Micron Flash Technologies (IMFT) had begun shipments of flash produced using 25nm fabrication process. The new flash memory will eventually enable Intel, Micron and their partners to dramatically boost capacities of various flash-based devices, including solid-state drives.

Announced in February, IMFT was the first to sample, and now to ship in production, 25nm NAND using the world's smallest manufacturing process technology. The 8GB 25nm NAND flash memory chip measures just 167mm². The 25nm flash memory will be used for USB memory keys and SD cards for data storage in digital camcorders and cameras, as well as in smart phones, personal music players and solid-state drives.

Based on unofficial information, Intel will update its family of mainstream and consumer family of solid-state drives in the fourth quarter of the year. The code-name Postville Refresh solid-state drives will all be based on the MLC flash made using 25nm process technology at IM Flash fabs. The X25-M SSDs for desktops and mainstream notebooks will be available in 160GB, 300GB and 600GB capacities, the X18-M drives for thin-and-light notebooks will offer 160GB and 300GB of storage space, whereas the value X25-V will provide 80GB of  free capacity.

Tags: Intel, Micron, IMFT, SSD, X25-M, X18-M, Flash, 20nm, 25nm