The new 64 gigabit (8 gigabyte) MLC (multi-level cell) NAND flash memory chip will give the companies a significant cost advantage over rivals, chip market researcher Objective Analysis said in a research note. The research note was inadvertently sent out ahead of an official announcement by Intel and Micron, which is slated for Monday.

An Intel representative confirmed the new chips and said they are aimed at smartphones, solid-state drives (SSDs), and portable media players such as iPods.

"We are currently sampling it with production expected in the second quarter," Intel said via e-mail.

The use of tiny 25nm technology puts the companies ahead of rivals in the flash industry. Samsung Electronics, the world's largest producer of flash memory, is starting work on 30nm technology this year and plans to use it in most production lines by the end of 2010.

The nanometer measurement describes the microscopic size of transistors and other parts on a chip. A nanometer is a billionth of a meter, about the size of a few atoms combined.