SK hynix has introduced their newest technology of 3D NAND, now that includes 176 layers of cost entice flash reminiscence cells. SK hynix is the second NAND producer to achieve this layer rely, following Micron’s announcement that their 176L NAND was beginning to ship in Crucial-branded merchandise.
This is SK hynix’s third technology to function their Periphery underneath Cell (PUC) design to scale back die measurement by putting peripheral logic underneath the reminiscence cell array, just like Intel and Micron’s CMOS Under Array design. (SK hynix refers back to the mixture of this die structure and their cost entice flash cells as “4D NAND”.) Changes with this technology embrace a 35% improve in bit productiveness (solely barely lower than theoretically attainable with the soar from 128 to 176 layers) and a 20% improve in cell learn pace. The most IO pace between NAND dies and the SSD controller has been elevated from 1.2GT/s for his or her 128L NAND to 1.6GT/s for the 176L NAND.
SK hynix has began sampling a 512Gbit TLC half to SSD controller firms for growing suitable firmware. SK hynix plans to initially use their 176L NAND for cell merchandise (ie. UFS modules) which can supply 70% sooner learn speeds and 35% sooner write speeds, resulting from be launched across the center of subsequent 12 months. The cell merchandise will then be adopted up by shopper and enterprise SSDs. SK hynix additionally plans to introduce 1Tbit dies based mostly on their 176L course of.
Based on this announcement, it seems that SK hynix might be pretty aggressive in the course of the upcoming technology of 3D NAND. They could also be operating a bit behind Micron’s schedule, however Micron has been pursuing an unusually fast transition to 176L after utilizing their 128L technology as a low-volume check car to work out any points ensuing from their change from floating gate to cost entice cell design. Meanwhile, Intel’s 144L NAND needs to be arriving early subsequent 12 months, and Kioxia/Western Digital 112L NAND is because of present up any day now. Samsung’s 128L NAND began transport a number of months in the past within the 980 PRO. While they haven’t formally introduced specs for his or her subsequent technology, it’s anticipated to enter manufacturing subsequent spring with a layer rely within the neighborhood of 176L, and to be Samsung’s first technology to make use of string stacking—a way their rivals all needed to undertake whereas layer counts had been within the 64-96L vary.
