Elpida Opens High Speed DRAM Test Laboratory at Munich Design Center

Elpida Memory, Inc. (Tokyo: 6665), Japan's leading global supplier of Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), today held a ceremony in Munich, Germany to officially open its High Speed DRAM Test Laboratory at its Munich Design Center.

The Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Infrastructure, Transport and Technology, sent his greetings and respect and welcomed through a representative Elpida customers and officials from companies that will be affiliated with the design center's work. Representing Elpida were president and CEO Yukio Sakamoto, Chief Technology Officer Takao Adachi and Markus Balb, president of Elpida Memory Europe GmbH.

The Munich Design Center began operations in May as a graphics DRAM (GDDR) development facility and has been focusing on GDDR design work since then. However, with today's opening ceremony for the high-speed DRAM test laboratory, the Center now reaches full-scale operations. The new test laboratory is equipped with high-speed memory testing and analytical equipment for use in planning and developing the features of new and next-generation products and supporting actual product design, development and evaluation. The Center will also conduct design and development activities that incorporate operational testing and analysis of actual systems.

In August of this year Elpida acquired GDDR3/GDDR5 design assets from the Germany company Qimonda AG. In December Elpida plans to begin sample shipments of GDDR3 products that have already been evaluated within the Munich Test laboratory of Elpida. In addition, Elpida itself is developing a 2-gigabit GDDR5 that it plans to begin mass manufacturing in the second half of 2010. While business partnerships that will focus on post-GDDR5 next-generation graphics memory features are already being explored with GPU vendors, Elpida believes the highly advanced technology development capabilities of its Munich Design Center can play a central role in high-speed memory design and testing related to graphics memory.

With the operations of the Munich Design Center at full-scale, Elpida now intends to become a major player in the graphics memory market. The Center will help reaching that goal by hosting a range of business initiatives that will include working with Munich and Bavarian government authorities as well as with German universities and companies.

About Elpida

Elpida Memory, Inc. (TOKYO:6665) is a leading manufacturer of Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) integrated circuits. The company's design, manufacturing and sales operations are backed by world class technological expertise. Its 300mm manufacturing facilities, consisting of its Hiroshima Plant and a Taiwan-based joint venture, Rexchip Electronics, utilize the most advanced manufacturing technologies available. Elpida's portfolio features such characteristics as high-density, high-speed, low power and small packaging profiles. The company provides DRAM solutions across a wide range of applications, including high-end servers, mobile phones and digital consumer electronics. More information can be found at http://www.elpida.com.

Information in this news release is current as of the timing of the release, but may be revised later without notice.