Hitachi-LG Chooses Micron NAND for Hybrid Optical Drive

Micron Technology, Inc. announced that Hitachi-LG Data Storage Inc. (HLDS) will employ Micron’s 25-nanometer (nm) NAND flash memory in its new HyDrive hybrid optical disc drive (ODD).

For more information visit: www.micron.com


Unedited press release follows:

Micron NAND Selected by Hitachi-LG Data Storage for Use in World’s First Hybrid Optical Drive With Onboard Storage

BOISE, Idaho, Oct 4, 2010 — Micron Technology, Inc.(Nasdaq:MU) today announced that Hitachi-LG Data Storage Inc. (HLDS) has selected Micron’s award-winning 25-nanometer (nm) NAND as the flash memory solution for its new hybrid optical disk drive (ODD). The new HLDS Hybrid Drive with Micron’s 25nm NAND technology provides a comprehensive mass storage and removable media solution for PCs, DVD players and Blu-ray products.

Micron’s 25nm NAND process technology delivers 8-gigabytes (GB) of storage in a single device, enabling new applications that require high capacity storage in space constrained designs. The initial portfolio of HLDS Hybrid Drives will be offered in a range of embedded flash memory capacities including 16GB, 32GB and 64GB. Higher NAND capacities of the Hybrid Drive will be available in future versions.

“The success of Micron’s 25nm NAND flash memory has driven yet another innovative application,” said Kevin Kilbuck, director of marketing for Micron’s NAND solutions group. “The HLDS Hybrid Drive breakthrough is another example of Micron NAND flash technology’s impact on everything from digital cameras and MP3 players, to smartphones, tablet PCs, and now hybrid ODDs.”

The HLDS Hybrid Drive is targeted at thin and light notebooks that traditionally had space for one drive, and is also ideal for client applications, where a hard drive or solid-state drive would be used for long-term storage. In these applications, the Hybrid Drive would be used for caching and launching applications, providing an improvement in system performance, including faster boot times.

“As a global leader and technology innovator in optical disc storage, HLDS showcased the second generation of its Hybrid Drive — the world’s first ODD with embedded NAND flash,” said YK Park, chief marketing officer of HLDS. “The second generation Hybrid Drive, embedded with Micron’s industry-leading 25nm NAND, is designed to fit in the conventional ODD form factor, allowing easy replacement of a conventional ODD and providing the added benefit of onboard storage. By creating a truly hybrid storage and optical drive solution, the Hybrid Drive also provides approximately a 50 to 70 percent performance improvement when compared to a standalone HDD.”*

HLDS will be demonstrating the Hybrid Drive using Micron’s 25nm NAND at CEATEC, October 5- 9 in Japan, Booth #1A01, Home & Personal Zone, Hall 1.

About Micron
Micron Technology, Inc., is one of the world’s leading providers of advanced semiconductor solutions. Through its worldwide operations, Micron manufactures and markets a full range of DRAM, NAND and NOR flash memory, as well as other innovative memory technologies, packaging solutions and semiconductor systems for use in leading-edge computing, consumer, networking, embedded and mobile products. Micron’s common stock is traded on the NASDAQ under the MU symbol. To learn more about Micron Technology, Inc., visit www.micron.com.