While Direct Rambus, the directly-attached memory API technology, looks as if it will be the memory architecture of choice for most of the desktop vendors, IBM Corp has outlined a five-year product roadmap for semicondcutors using the competing DDR double data rate technology. IBM has already started making 64Mb DDRs, and says 256Mb DDR chips done in 0.2 microns and will ship in volume next year. IBM believes DDR will find its role in the server market, though analysts say DDR will be adopted by large manufacturers largely as an alternative to Rambus and for graphics solutions. There are ten other companies backing DDR including Hyundai, LG, Micron, Mitsubishi, NEC, Samsung, Siemens, and Toshiba. The DDR SDRAM standard was by an IEEE engineering group. Intel, AMD and others have lined up behind Rambus. Other competing technologies include the Synclink consortium-based SLDRAM interface and NEC Corp’s Virtual Channel Memory FDRAM technology. IBM expects to have 128Mb, 0.175 micron SDRAM sampling by the end of next year and 256Mb, 0.15 micron technology available in 2001.
