WHEN computers were introduced, they started off as a disruptive technology, disrupting the traditional way of doing things. Now, with Industry 4.0 or the fourth industrial revolution, the old computing system is now becoming obsolete, to be replaced by new disruptive technology where computers are connected and able to communicate with one another.
The Industry 4.0 represents the era of smart manufacturing. It is a combination of cyber-physical systems, the Internet of Things (IoT) and the Internet of Systems.
The revolution allows the computer to assist us and make smart factory a reality, decentralising intelligence in manufacturing, production, logistics and the industry as a whole. One key item in the making of Industry 4.0 a success is computer memory.
MANUFACTURING MEMORY
There are two types of flash memory, the NOR and the NAND. Each is different in the way it reads and arranges data.
The NAND flash memory is a type of non-volatile storage technology. It is a cost-effective type of memory that does not require power to retain data. It is also the most common type of memory used in the mass market.
It is found in the most common devices such as USB flash drives, MP3 players, memory cards in smartphones and in solid-state drives as computer storage.
NOR flash, the volatile types of memory on the other hand, acts similar to random access memory (RAM) and is more expensive.
The main goal of NAND flash development was to reduce the cost per bit and to increase chip capacity for flash memory to compete with magnetic storage devices, such as hard disks. Invented in 1994, the first application for flash memory was the replacement audio tape in a telephone answering machine.
More than two decades later, high-density NAND flash storage is used in a broad range of products and the technology is showing no signs of slowing down and one of the few flash memory manufacturers in the world, Micron Technology is closing on with its latest 3D NAND.
In 2016, a combination of high demand and the manufacturing trend for vertical NAND technology resulted in a shortage of NAND. Due to the shortage, manufacturers kept stock of NAND flash, which resulted in low demand in 2018. However, the shortage in demand did not hinder the opening of Micron’s new memory fabrication centre.
Strategically located in Singapore to efficiently and effectively accommodate its Asia customers, the centre also serves as the base of Micron’s worldwide operations.
The move also reflects the fast-growing and expanding opportunities of memory industry. The new centre is not the first. Singapore has been home to Micron’s largest manufacturing footprint with three fabrication facilities. The present one includes a technology centre supporting innovation across the company.
SIGNIFICANT PRESENCE
The new facility brings together functions such as technology development, product engineering, and quality and manufacturing, leveraging on Micron’s long-term investment in infrastructure and technical expertise in Singapore.
Launched by Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Heng Swee Keat, the facility will perform as the company’s primary manufacturing facility for leading-edge advanced 3D NAND production.
The expanded facility provides flexibility in cleanroom space to facilitate technology transitions to advanced nodes of 3D NAND technology.
As an integral component, the 3D NAND technology is pivotal to future advancements in areas such as 5G, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and autonomous transportation.
“Designed with the most advanced smart manufacturing capabilities, Micron’s NAND Centre of Excellence provides scale for several generations of 3D NAND transitions,” says Micron’s president and CEO Sanjay Mehrotra.
“The Centre of Excellence also includes NAND flash memory operations in Malaysia — in Muar, Johor and Batu Kawan, Penang,” says Senior Vice President, Global Back-End Operations at Micron, Gursharan Singh, adding that the facility also incorporates the latest smart manufacturing technology and processes.
Today, NAND flash memory market is high in two market segments — smartphones and solid-state drives (SSDs), which include computers, gaming kiosks, digital signage, and industrial storage too. As automotive and Internet of Things (IoT) continue to grow, the demand for NAND flash memory is only growing.
New types of flash memory will be needed for enhanced AI or real-time image recognition. Advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) in automobiles are expanding with more vehicles are equipped with adaptive cruise control, collision-avoidance systems and much more. These systems use flash for real-time image recognition that assist the vehicle to map its surrounding — these systems will become prolific users of flash memory.
Data-heavy IoT devices constitute another emerging market for NAND flash. Industrial automation- Industry 4.0 is one of the many segments including wearables, aviation, healthcare, and just about anything that begins with the word “smart” demands NAND flash.
BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE
Besides developing smart NAND flash memory, Micron also firmly believes in the importance of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education and actively promotes educational activities through the Micron Foundation.
The Foundation recently helped fund an autonomous transportation research project for the National University of Singapore (NUS) Advanced Robotics Centre, awarding NUS a grant of SG$101,000 (RM307,000) to inspire learning in STEM fields.
Collaborations with universities do not end with those in Singapore. Since its operations have extended to Malaysian’s soil, Malaysia students also benefit from the expansion.
“We have quite a number of talents from Malaysian universities placed at the two centres. They are nurtured and exposed to a vast experience and knowledge Micron has in flash manufacturing,” says Mehrotra.
The Micron Foundation also provides grant for Nanyang Technological University’s Institute for Science and Technology for Humanity, which seeks to address critical issues confronting society and humanity at large in the era of rapid technological transformation.
In October 2018, the Micron Foundation launched the global Advancing Curiosity Fund, a US$1 million grant helping universities and non-profit organisations tackle some of AI’s greatest challenges.