Toshiba and SanDisk are answering the demand for flash memory chips capable of supporting large media files, with a new flash memory chip that accommodates 8-gigabits (Gb) of storage. The announcement was made at the International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) 2005 in San Francisco this week.

The NAND-based chip, made using 70-nanometer process technology, has a density of 6 billion bits. The chip occupies a mere 146-millimeters, with every square centimeter of silicon holding about 3 billion transistors. Using a combination of burst mode techniques and high read bandwidth, the companies said, has likewise increased data transfer speed.

The 8 Gb chip will be the engine moving the partnership between Toshiba and SanDisk forward. Toshiba and SanDisk said products based on their new flash memory technology should start rolling out this summer.

The chip represents another kind of victory as well, by putting Toshiba ahead of Samsung, the largest flash memory producer, in being the first to create 8 Gb flash memory chips. Samsung, much larger than Toshiba, plans to release an 8 Gb chip in September. Toshiba is showing the industry that it is capable of outperforming a market leader like Samsung.