Class #6 Case Study Intel Corporation: The DRAM Decision

Guy Scotsil

What has Intel's strategy been with respect to DRAM?

  

Intel worked closely with Honeywell engineers to design and develop the first DRAM in 1970 Intel started the Memory Systems Operations (MSO) in order to speed the adoption of DRAMS. Overall strategy was to move quickly to new generations as competitors enter the market with substitutes With DRAM, Intel assumed all competitors faced similar fixed costs and learning curves.

Why did Intel lose its leadership position in DRAMS?

 

64 K DRAM versions had defects. memory cell size was reduced, but the actual die size still had to be increased significantly. 64K generation redundancy was not economical. The fuse technology was less than perfect. By the time the fuse problem was fixed, it was too late.

How has the organization reacted to the dramatic loss of market share in DRAM?
  

It formed CRUSH project It formed CHECKMATE project It also was fighting back with 1 megabit project.