成立于2002年的Innovative Silicon公司，開(kāi)發(fā)了一種稱(chēng)為Z- RAM的浮體單晶體管存儲(chǔ)技術(shù)，當(dāng)時(shí)它宣稱(chēng)比傳統(tǒng)DRAM更好。然而今天，公司已經(jīng)關(guān)門(mén)大吉。 公司即將卸任的首席營(yíng)運(yùn)官M(fèi)ichael Van Buskirk，在他的LinkedIn的個(gè)人狀態(tài)上寫(xiě)到 “Innovative Silicon公司的主要銷(xiāo)售和技術(shù)人員：舉行認(rèn)購(gòu)法人大會(huì)，以便加快資產(chǎn)和人員的轉(zhuǎn)移。” 但Van Buskirk并沒(méi)有提到誰(shuí)買(mǎi)下了公司，不過(guò)有跡象表明，美光科技公司（美國(guó)愛(ài)達(dá)荷州，博伊西）至少是其中一個(gè)主要受益者。 這家私人持有，有風(fēng)險(xiǎn)投資支持的公司，由Pierre C. Fazan和Serguei Okhonin于2002年在瑞士洛桑創(chuàng)立，隨后在加州的圣克拉拉設(shè)立總部。 目前兩個(gè)公司的網(wǎng)站已經(jīng)不能訪(fǎng)問(wèn)，聯(lián)系電話(huà)無(wú)法接通。但是這兩個(gè)網(wǎng)站的網(wǎng)址，都已經(jīng)注冊(cè)到美光名下。 此外，Innovative Silicon前任首席技術(shù)官和主席Fazan，在LinkedIn社交網(wǎng)站上的身份是美光科技比利時(shí)微電子研究中心的工程經(jīng)理，公司位于比利時(shí)勒芬。他這一身份自2010年9月就被公布了。 Z-RAM棄SOI，取垂直雙柵浮體而代之 Innovative Silicon的前首席科學(xué)官Okhonin，是ActLight的創(chuàng)始人。 Z-RAM技術(shù)最初是基于硅絕緣體（SOI）晶圓的，這種晶圓比體CMOS晶圓更昂貴，并且尚未成為行業(yè)主流。 事實(shí)上，Van Buskirk自己證明了最初的Z-RAM技術(shù)“既不可擴(kuò)展也不可靠”，并與同事們共同開(kāi)發(fā)了替代的體硅技術(shù)，也就是該公司后來(lái)開(kāi)發(fā)的一種適合于體硅獨(dú)立存儲(chǔ)器應(yīng)用的低電壓浮體DRAM存儲(chǔ)單元。 Innovative Silicon和 Hynix Semiconductor在2009年的VLSI技術(shù)研討會(huì)（VLSI Technology Symposium）上，聯(lián)合發(fā)表了基于體硅的Z-RAM論文；在2010年的VLSI技術(shù)研討會(huì)上，發(fā)表了另一篇關(guān)于垂直雙柵浮體的Z-RAM存儲(chǔ)單元的論文。 目前還不清楚美光或Hynix 是否會(huì)繼續(xù)研究垂直雙柵浮體Z-RAM技術(shù)。 Innovative Silicon獲得了三輪風(fēng)險(xiǎn)投資，這為他們總共募集了4,700萬(wàn)美元，投資機(jī)構(gòu)包括：Auriga Partners、Index Ventures、Highland Capital Partners、Austin Ventures和 Wellington Partners。看來(lái)美光可能已經(jīng)獲得了Innovative Silicon的相關(guān)專(zhuān)利。 本文授權(quán)編譯自EE Times，版權(quán)所有，謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載 參考英文原文：Micron gains as floating-body firm closes， by Peter Clarke

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{pagination} Micron gains as floating-body firm closes Peter Clarke LONDON – Innovative Silicon, a 2002 startup that developed a floating-body single-transistor memory it called Z-RAM that it claimed could scale better than DRAM, appears to have closed. The outgoing chief operating officer Michael Van Buskirk states on his LinkedIn profile that he was the "key operational and technical corporate officer throughout the sale of Innovative Silicon: pre-sale corporate road-show, as well as facilitating asset and personnel transfers." Van Buskirk does not state there who bought the company assets but there are indications that Micron Technology Inc. (Boise Idaho) is at least one key beneficiary. The privately-held, venture-backed Innovative Silicon was founded in 2002 by Pierre C. Fazan and Serguei Okhonin in Lausanne, Switzerland and was subsequently headquartered in Santa Clara, California. Two websites for the company (www.innovativesilicon.com and www.z-ram.com) no longer appear to work and the last listed phone number is unobtainable. However, both website URLs are now registered to Micron. In addition Fazan, previously chief technology officer and chairman at Innovative Silicon, is now listed on the LinkedIn social networking site as a Micron Fellow and as working as an engineering manager for Micron in the IMEC research facility in Leuven, Belgium. He has been in post since September 2010. Okhonin, previously chief scientific officer at Innovative Silicon, is the founder of a startup called ActLight Inc. The Z-RAM technology was originally based on the use of silicon-on-insulator wafers, which are more expensive than bulk CMOS wafers and have yet to become mainstream within the industry. The company subsequently developed a low-voltage floating-body DRAM memory cell suitable for bulk silicon stand-alone memory application. Indeed, Van Buskirk credits himself with having determined that the original Z-RAM technology was "neither scalable nor reliable" and having co-invented the alternative bulk silicon technology. A joint paper between Innovative Silicon and Hynix Semiconductor Inc. on a bulk form of Z-RAM was presented at the VLSI Technology Symposium in 2009 and another paper on the vertical double-gate floating body Z-RAM memory cell was presented at the same conference in 2010. It is not known whether either Micron or Hynix is continuing to work on the vertical, double-gate floating body Z-RAM technology. Innovative Silicon raised $47 million in three rounds of venture funding from firms including: Auriga Partners, Index Ventures, Highland Capital Partners, Austin Ventures and Wellington Partners. It would seem likely that Micron has picked up Innovative Silicon's patent portfolio.