Intel Corp is to invest $100m in Samsung Group, to establish the South Korean firm as its principal supplier of direct rambus dynamic random access memory (DR-DRAM). An Intel executive described the investment as a sensible move because Intel intends to move to DR-DRAM later this year and Samsung is promising volume production of the new memory chip technology by the second quarter of this year. This is not the first time that Intel and Samsung have worked together on the memory technology. Last year, the two linked with IBM Corp in a 10-company body that outlined a five-year plan for direct rambus technology. Last October, Intel invested $500m in Micron Technology Inc for similar reasons (CI No 3,519) and it now holds a 6% stake in Micron. And recently, rumors surfaced that Intel would be willing to invest $500m in Hyundai’s semiconductor manufacturing unit after (or if) Hyundai’s merger with LG Semicon has been completed (CI No 3,574). Analysts anticipate that Direct RDRAM will enter the mainstream CPU market some time between July to September, when Intel is expected to release its Camino (820) chipset.
