MEMS technology to boost storage density

Flash memory chips are predicted to begin slowing down their bit density growth in the next few years due to lithography related constraints.  Nanochip is one of the startup companies which is working to get around these limitations.   The company is developing a new class of ultra-high-capacity storage chips based on MEMS technology.  Nanochip’s technology will enable the storage of tens of gigabytes of data per chip, the equivalent of many high-definition feature-length videos, at a substantially lower cost than today’s flash memory solutions.

The company reported last week that it raised a $14 million financing round led by Intel Capital.  This new financing round will allow the company to complete development of its first prototypes later this year to support design verification testing and limited customer sampling in 2009.  We spoke with Nanochip’s CEO Dr. Gordon Knight.