Micron Memory Japan
Japanese memory-semiconductor company formerly known as Elpida Memory and now operating as Micron Memory Japan.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Micron Memory Japan is the Japanese semiconductor subsidiary of Micron Technology and the corporate successor to Elpida Memory. Elpida was established in 1999 through the combination of the DRAM operations of NEC and Hitachi, at a time when Japan’s semiconductor industry was reorganizing in response to intensifying competition from South Korean, American, and Taiwanese manufacturers. The new company initially operated as NEC Hitachi Memory before adopting the Elpida name in 2000. Its business centered on the development, design, manufacture, and sale of dynamic random-access memory, or DRAM, while also including semiconductor foundry and related technology activities. The company expanded its industrial base during the early 2000s. It began commercial sales in Japan in 2001 and constructed a 300-millimeter wafer fabrication plant, an important investment because larger wafers can improve manufacturing productivity and reduce per-chip costs. In 2003, Elpida absorbed Mitsubishi Electric’s DRAM operations and brought Mitsubishi engineers and technology capabilities into the business. The following year it became a publicly traded company on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Elpida also created Akita Elpida in 2006 to support advanced back-end process development. Elpida competed in a highly cyclical memory market in which prices could fall rapidly when production capacity exceeded demand. The company developed several generations of conventional and mobile DRAM, including DDR2, DDR3, and later DDR4-related products. It also pursued lower-power memory for mobile devices and high-density products for computing and consumer electronics. In 2010, it announced a four-gigabit DDR3 device manufactured using a 40-nanometer process and designed to support both conventional and reduced-voltage operation. In 2011, it announced sampling of 25-nanometer DRAM, reflecting the industry’s continuing race toward smaller process geometries and greater density. Financial pressure intensified after the global financial crisis. Elpida received government and bank support in 2009, but it remained exposed to the strong yen, weak personal-computer demand, falling DRAM prices, and supply-chain disruption following flooding in Thailand. The resulting collapse in memory prices weakened the company’s balance sheet. Elpida filed for bankruptcy protection on February 27, 2012, with reported liabilities of approximately 448 billion yen, and its shares were delisted from the Tokyo Stock Exchange on March 28 of that year. A Tokyo court and creditors approved Micron Technology’s acquisition in 2013, and Elpida became a wholly owned Micron subsidiary on July 31, 2013. On February 28, 2014, Elpida Memory was renamed Micron Memory Japan, while Elpida Akita became Micron Akita. The change integrated the former Elpida organization into Micron’s global memory-manufacturing and technology network. Micron’s Japanese activities subsequently focused on DRAM research, process development, manufacturing, sales, and related testing and packaging capabilities. The Hiroshima site became an important base for developing low-power DRAM intended for smartphones and other mobile applications, with qualified processes potentially transferable to other Micron factories. The canonical entity is therefore a continuing Micron subsidiary rather than an independent Elpida-branded company. The Elpida name remains historically significant in Japan’s DRAM industry, but the corporate identity, ownership, and operations have been folded into Micron Memory Japan and the wider Micron Technology group.
History
Micron Memory Japan traces its corporate history to 1999, when NEC and Hitachi combined their DRAM operations to create NEC Hitachi Memory. The venture was part of a broader restructuring of Japan’s semiconductor sector, with the participating companies separating DRAM activities from other semiconductor operations. In 2000, the company adopted the Elpida name and began developing DRAM products. Elpida commenced domestic sales in 2001 and invested in a 300-millimeter wafer fabrication plant. The move reflected the capital intensity of the DRAM industry, where manufacturing scale, process shrinks, yield improvement, and wafer productivity strongly influence competitiveness. In 2002, the company became associated with a U.S. investigation into alleged international DRAM price fixing. Elpida was later among the manufacturers reported to have pleaded guilty in that conspiracy, making the matter a significant regulatory and reputational episode in its history. In 2003, Elpida took over Mitsubishi Electric’s DRAM operations, including development personnel. It went public on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange in 2004. In 2006, the company established Akita Elpida to develop advanced back-end technologies. During this period, Elpida broadened its product work across DDR memory generations, mobile memory, and other DRAM categories. It also pursued tighter process geometries and lower-power designs for mobile and consumer applications. The global financial crisis and subsequent memory-market downturn exposed Elpida to severe financial pressure. The company received government and bank support in 2009. In 2010, it sold shares to Kingston Technology and announced a four-gigabit DDR3 SDRAM device made with a 40-nanometer process. The product was designed to reduce power use and operate at both conventional and lower voltage. In 2011, Elpida announced a financing plan and reported that it had begun sampling 25-nanometer DRAM. Despite these technology efforts, the business was hurt by a strong yen, weak personal-computer demand, excess memory supply, and a steep decline in DRAM prices. Disruption to computer production after flooding in Thailand added to the difficult market environment. Elpida filed for bankruptcy on February 27, 2012. Its reported liabilities were approximately 448 billion yen, and its shares were delisted from the Tokyo Stock Exchange on March 28, 2012. Micron Technology emerged as the approved buyer after negotiations with creditors and court proceedings. The acquisition was completed on July 31, 2013, making Elpida a wholly owned Micron subsidiary. On February 28, 2014, the company changed its name to Micron Memory Japan, while Elpida Akita became Micron Akita. The former Elpida business thereafter operated within Micron’s global manufacturing and technology system rather than as an independent public DRAM company. Micron’s Japanese network includes design, sales, manufacturing, and technology-development activities. Hiroshima has been particularly important for low-power DRAM development, with processes developed there intended for possible transfer to other manufacturing locations after meeting performance, yield, quality, cost, and cycle-time requirements. In 2017, Micron reorganized parts of its Japanese testing and assembly footprint through transactions involving Power Technology Inc. and Tera Probe. More recent Japanese government support for Micron’s Hiroshima investment, including assistance announced in 2022 and 2023, reflects the strategic importance of advanced memory manufacturing to Japan’s semiconductor policy. The present canonical entity is Micron Memory Japan, while Elpida Memory is its former corporate identity.
- 2023
Planned EUV expansion in Hiroshima
[1]Micron announces a planned investment in extreme ultraviolet technology at its Hiroshima site with government support.
- 2022
Japanese subsidy for Hiroshima memory development
[1]Japan provides government support for Micron’s advanced-memory development at the Hiroshima plant.
- 2014
Corporate renaming
[1]Elpida Memory becomes Micron Memory Japan and Elpida Akita becomes Micron Akita.
- 2013
Acquisition by Micron Technology
[1]Micron Technology completes the acquisition of Elpida, which becomes a wholly owned subsidiary.
- 2012
Bankruptcy and delisting
[1]Elpida files for bankruptcy in February and is delisted from the Tokyo Stock Exchange in March.
- 2010
Four-gigabit DDR3 announced
[1]Elpida announces a 40-nanometer four-gigabit DDR3 SDRAM device with lower-power operating options.
- 2006
Akita Elpida is established
[1]The company establishes an Akita operation focused on advanced back-end process development.
- 2004
Tokyo Stock Exchange listing
[1]Elpida lists its shares on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
- 2003
Mitsubishi DRAM operations are absorbed
[1]Elpida takes over Mitsubishi Electric’s DRAM operations and related engineering resources.
- 2001
Domestic sales begin
[1]Elpida begins sales operations in Japan and advances construction of a 300-millimeter wafer fabrication plant.
Products and positioning
Historically, Elpida positioned itself as Japan’s specialist DRAM manufacturer, emphasizing high-density memory, advanced process technology, and lower-power products. Under Micron ownership, the Japanese operation is positioned as a research, development, manufacturing, and technology-transfer platform within a global memory-semiconductor business.
DRAM
DDR2 SDRAM
An earlier generation of double-data-rate synchronous DRAM developed and sold during Elpida’s expansion across mainstream computing and electronics markets.
DRAM · 2010
DDR3 SDRAM
A major Elpida product family for computers and embedded systems. In 2010, the company announced a four-gigabit DDR3 device using a 40-nanometer process and supporting standard and reduced-voltage operation.
DRAM
DDR4 SDRAM
A later-generation DRAM family associated with the Elpida product lineage and subsequently part of the broader Micron memory portfolio.
Mobile memory
Mobile DRAM
Lower-power memory designed for smartphones and other mobile devices. Development of this class of product became especially important within Micron’s Japanese operations at Hiroshima.
Graphics memory
Graphics DRAM
DRAM intended for graphics and high-bandwidth applications, including products associated with GDDR generations in the wider Micron and Elpida memory lineage.
Specialized DRAM
XDR DRAM
A specialized high-speed DRAM category included among products associated with the company’s historical memory portfolio.
Controversies
Brand decisions
2017
Restructuring of Japanese testing and assembly activitiesM&ABackground
Micron reviewed the organization of testing, probing, assembly, and packaging capabilities within its Japanese network.
Action taken
Micron agreed with Power Technology Inc. on transactions involving majority stakes in Micron Akita and Tera Probe.
Aftermath
Testing and assembly capabilities were reorganized between Hiroshima, Taiwan, and the transferred Japanese operations.
2014
Integration and renaming of Japanese operationsStrategyBackground
Micron reorganized the acquired Elpida organization after completing the acquisition.
Action taken
Elpida Memory was renamed Micron Memory Japan, and Elpida Akita was renamed Micron Akita.
Aftermath
The Elpida corporate identity ceased to be the operating name of the Japanese subsidiary, although the business’s historical technology and facilities continued within Micron.
2013
Acquisition by Micron TechnologyM&ABackground
Following bankruptcy proceedings, creditors and a Tokyo court considered Micron Technology’s proposal to acquire the company.
Action taken
Micron completed the acquisition on July 31, 2013, making Elpida a wholly owned subsidiary.
Aftermath
The former Elpida operations were integrated into Micron’s global memory business and later renamed Micron Memory Japan.
2012
Filing for bankruptcy protectionOtherBackground
Elpida faced a severe DRAM downturn, a strong yen, weak personal-computer demand, and supply-chain disruption that contributed to a sharp fall in memory prices.
Action taken
The company filed for bankruptcy protection on February 27, 2012.
Aftermath
Elpida was delisted from the Tokyo Stock Exchange and subsequently acquired by Micron Technology.
Sources2 sources
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