TOKYO (XFN-ASIA) - The US Department of Justice will investigate six Japanese static random access memory (SRAM) manufacturers for possible antitrust violations, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported, without citing sources. The investigation is believed to concern SRAMs sold in the US between 1998 and 2005 by NEC Electronics Corp, Renesas Technology Corp, Toshiba Corp, Sony Corp, Hitachi Ltd and Mitsubishi Electric Corp, the business daily said. Sony said this week its US subsidiary, Sony Electronics Inc, is under investigation by the US justice Department and has received a subpoena from its antitrust division. The Justice Department previously probed Japanese DRAM makers on an allegation that they had been part of an international cartel between 1999 and 2002. NEC Corp, Hitachi and Elpida Memory Inc paid a total of 84 mln usd in fines as a result. http://www.forbes.com/home/feeds/afx/2006/11/01/afx3139072.html