3bpc | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Sat, 03 Oct 2015 03:17:29 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png 3bpc | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 Micron to start sales of SSDs based on TLC NAND this quarter https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/anton-shilov/micron-set-to-start-shipments-of-ssds-based-on-tlc-nand-this-quarter/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/anton-shilov/micron-set-to-start-shipments-of-ssds-based-on-tlc-nand-this-quarter/#respond Fri, 02 Oct 2015 23:21:08 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=270433 Micron Technology plans to finally start shipments of consumer solid-state drives based on triple-level cell (TLC) NAND flash in the ongoing quarter, the company revealed this week. SSDs featuring TLC NAND memory will be generally more affordable than non-volatile storage solutions powered by multi-level cell (MLC) flash. “We will begin shipping consumer SSDs based on TLC …

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Micron Technology plans to finally start shipments of consumer solid-state drives based on triple-level cell (TLC) NAND flash in the ongoing quarter, the company revealed this week. SSDs featuring TLC NAND memory will be generally more affordable than non-volatile storage solutions powered by multi-level cell (MLC) flash.

“We will begin shipping consumer SSDs based on TLC in the current quarter,” said Mark Adams, the president of Micron, during the most recent conference call with investors and financial analysts.

Although Micron is somewhat late with its TLC NAND products, the company pins a lot of hopes on them. Micron uses 16nm fabrication process to make its TLC NAND, which means that the memory should be very cheap, but also less durable than TLC produced using thicker manufacturing technologies. The company projects that about 50 per cent of its SSDs will use TLC NAND in Q3 2016.

TLC NAND flash memory stores three bits of information per one memory cell and is about 20 – 25 per cent cheaper to make compared to MLC NAND. However, triple-level cell is generally less durable than multi-level cell flash: contemporary MLC NAND can sustain around 3000 program-erase (P/E) cycles, but TLC NAND endures only around 1000 P/E cycles. Moreover, TLC memory is usually slower than MLC. To build a reliable and fast solid-state storage solution using TLC flash memory, a special set of technologies (e.g., an advanced controller that supports error-correction capabilities, advanced firmware, etc.) is required.

micron_m600_ssd_1

Micron has used TLC NAND for various removable applications for a while now. However, in Q4 2015 the company plans to begin sales of its SSDs based on its most cost efficient flash memory. The roll-out of Micron’s TLC-based solid-state drives indicates that the company has done a lot of work developing such drives.

Micron did not reveal any details about its SSDs featuring TLC NAND, but expect such drives to target cost-effective, but not high-performance applications.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: It will be very interesting to see what Micron’s engineers will be able to do with the company’s TLC NAND memory. Samsung Electronics, SanDisk Corp. and Toshiba Corp. have been offering TLC-based SSDs for a while and none of them are performance champions. Perhaps, Micron will manage to either offer considerably better performance or lower price than its rivals do.

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Samsung’s new SSDs feature up to 6.4TB capacity, up to 5.5GB/s bandwidth https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/anton-shilov/samsung-unveils-ssds-with-up-to-6-4tb-capacity-up-to-5-5gbs-bandwidth/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/anton-shilov/samsung-unveils-ssds-with-up-to-6-4tb-capacity-up-to-5-5gbs-bandwidth/#comments Wed, 12 Aug 2015 21:59:08 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=263244 Samsung Electronics has introduced its all-new solid-state drives based on the latest TLC 3D V-NAND flash memory for enterprises. The SSDs provide unprecedented levels of performance, capacity, endurance and reliability, which will help Samsung to address new markets. The new enterprise-class SSDs are based on Samsung’s latest 48-layer 3D V-NAND triple-level-cell (TLC) memory and Samsung’s …

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Samsung Electronics has introduced its all-new solid-state drives based on the latest TLC 3D V-NAND flash memory for enterprises. The SSDs provide unprecedented levels of performance, capacity, endurance and reliability, which will help Samsung to address new markets.

The new enterprise-class SSDs are based on Samsung’s latest 48-layer 3D V-NAND triple-level-cell (TLC) memory and Samsung’s proprietary controller and firmware. The new drives support NVMe protocol, protection against power loss as well as other advanced features required by datacentres.

The new flagship Samsung PM1725 enterprise-class solid-state drives come in half-height, half-length (HHHL) card form-factor with PCI Express 3.0 x8 interface with NVMe protocol. The drives can store 3.2TB or 6.4TB of data and provides outstanding reliability with five DWPDs (drive writes per day) for five years, which translates to writing a total of 32TBs per day during that time.

Performance levels of the Samsung PM1725 are also unprecedented: the SSDs can sequentially read data at up to 5500MB/s and write data at up to 1800MB/s. The PM1725 provides a random read speed of up to one million IOPS (input output operations per second) and writes randomly at up to 120 thousand IOPS.

Samsung-PM1725-SSDs-Main

In addition, Samsung introduced PM1633 solid-state drives, which come in 2.5” form-factor and feature serial attached SCSI-12Gb/s (SAS-12Gb/s) interface. The PM1633 delivers random read and write speeds of up to 160 thousand and 18 thousand IOPS respectively, and boasts sequential read and write speeds of up to 1100MB/s and 1000MB/s. The new drives will be available in 480GB, 960GB, 1.92TB and 3.84TB versions.

“We are providing high-end capabilities and capacities for all of our latest SSDs, something we believe will elicit a high degree of interest from OEMs and computer enthusiasts throughout the world,” said Jim Elliott, corporate vice president of Samsung Semiconductor. “We understand the performance needs of our customers in a rapidly expanding SSD universe and are determined to meet those needs.”

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Without any doubts, Samsung’s new PM1725 and PM1633 are nothing, but remarkable. What is even more impressive is that 48-layer TLC 3D V-NAND memory is among the cheapest NAND flash options in the industry. In short, Samsung has just managed to create ultra-premium SSDs using inexpensive NAND.

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Samsung begins to produce 48-layer 3D V-NAND flash memory https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/anton-shilov/samsung-begins-to-produce-48-layer-3d-v-nand-flash-memory/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/anton-shilov/samsung-begins-to-produce-48-layer-3d-v-nand-flash-memory/#comments Tue, 11 Aug 2015 22:59:12 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=263138 Samsung Electronics on Tuesday said that it had started to mass produce the world’s first triple-level-cell (TLC) three dimensional vertical NAND flash memory chips with 256Gb capacity. The new 3D V-NAND memory ICs [integrated circuits] will help Samsung to make solid-state drives and other flash-based devices more affordable, which will help to increase market share …

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Samsung Electronics on Tuesday said that it had started to mass produce the world’s first triple-level-cell (TLC) three dimensional vertical NAND flash memory chips with 256Gb capacity. The new 3D V-NAND memory ICs [integrated circuits] will help Samsung to make solid-state drives and other flash-based devices more affordable, which will help to increase market share of the company.

The new 256Gb TLC NAND flash memory chips from Samsung utilize the same 3D charge trap flash (CTF) architecture in which the cell arrays are stacked vertically to form a 48-storied mass that is electrically connected through some 1.8 billion channel holes punching through the arrays thanks to a special etching technology. In total, each chip contains over 85.3 billion cells and can store 32GB of data.

According to Samsung, the new 48-layer 256Gb TLC NAND flash memory chip consumes 30 per cent less energy than the predecessor, which has 128Gb capacity. The new chip is also 40 per cent smaller than its ancestor, which means that it costs less to produce.

Samsung_48-layer_256Gb_V-NAND_chip_M

“With the introduction of our 3rd generation V-NAND flash memory to the global market, we can now provide the best advanced memory solutions, with even higher efficiency based on improved performance, power utilization and manufacturing productivity, thereby accelerating growth of the high-performance and the high-density SSD markets,” said Young-Hyun Jun, president of the memory business at Samsung Electronics. “By making full use of Samsung V-NAND’s excellent features, we will expand our premium-level business in the enterprise and data center market segments, as well as in the consumer market, while continuing to strengthen our strategic SSD focus.”

Samsung hopes that its third-generation 3D V-NAND memory enable it to make affordable 1TB and 2TB solid-state drives for consumers. In addition, the company believes that such memory will help to increase its high-density SSD sales for the enterprise and data center storage markets with PCIe NVMe and SAS interfaces.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Samsung is again ahead of its rivals with its third-generation 3D V-NAND flash memory. It remains to be seen how significantly the company will manage to increase its share on the market of SSDs thanks to its new memory chips. At present the company controls over 40 per cent of the SSD market, according to analysts.

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Samsung announces 2TB solid-state drives for consumers https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/anton-shilov/samsung-announces-2tb-solid-state-drives-for-consumers/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/anton-shilov/samsung-announces-2tb-solid-state-drives-for-consumers/#comments Mon, 06 Jul 2015 22:19:03 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=257692 Solid-state drives have higher performance compared to hard disk drives, but when it comes to storage capacities HDDs are unrivalled. High-capacity SSDs are usually very expensive and are not considered as replacement for hard drives. However, Samsung on Monday introduced its new 850 Evo and 850 Pro solid-state drive that feature 2TB capacity and do …

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Solid-state drives have higher performance compared to hard disk drives, but when it comes to storage capacities HDDs are unrivalled. High-capacity SSDs are usually very expensive and are not considered as replacement for hard drives. However, Samsung on Monday introduced its new 850 Evo and 850 Pro solid-state drive that feature 2TB capacity and do not cost several thousands.

Samsung’s 850 Evo and 850 Pro solid-state drives are the latest families of SSDs from Samsung introduced last year. Up to now maximum storage capacity offered by the drives was 1TB, but from now on the company will also offer versions of the products with 2TB of storage space. The new 2TB 850 SSD Pro and Evo drives remain in the same 7-millimeter, 2.5-inch aluminum case as their predecessors did. The new SSDs are based on Samsung’s proprietary MHX controllers.

“Samsung experienced surge in demand for 500GB and higher capacity SSDs with the introduction of our V-NAND SSDs,” said Un-Soo Kim, senior vice president of branded product marketing of memory business at Samsung Electronics. “The release of the 2TB SSD is a strong driver into the era of multi-terabyte SSD solutions. We will continue to expand our ultra-high performance and large density SSD product portfolio and provide a new computing experience to users around the globe.”

samsung_ssd_tlc_840_evo_1

The Samsung 850 Evo SSDs are based on the company’s triple-level cell (TLC) 3D V-NAND flash memory and are currently the most affordable solid-state drives in the market. Sequential read performance of the 850 Evo is up to 540MB/s, while write performance is claimed to be up to 520MB/s. The drives come with 10-year warranty 300TB to be written.

The Samsung 850 Pro solid-state drives use the second-generation multi-level cell (MLC) 3D V-NAND flash memory with enhanced performance and reliability. Sequential read performance of the 850 Pro reaches up to 550MB/s, while write performance can be up to 520MB/s. Random read performance of the 850 Pro SSDs is up to 100000 input/output operations-per-second (IOPS), with write speeds of up to 90000 IOPS. The drives come with 10-year warranty and 150TB to be written.

The new 2TB drives are available in 50 countries.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: While initially 2TB SSDs will clearly be rather expensive, the fact that Samsung releases them means that there is market demand for such SSD capacities. As a result, the drive will eventually get much more affordable.

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Chillblast slashes prices of Samsung 850 Evo and 850 Pro SSDs https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/anton-shilov/chillblast-slashes-prices-of-samsung-850-evo-and-850-pro-ssds/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/anton-shilov/chillblast-slashes-prices-of-samsung-850-evo-and-850-pro-ssds/#comments Wed, 10 Jun 2015 00:54:42 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=253665 Chillblast, a well-known maker of enthusiast-class personal computers from the U.K., offers rather substantial discounts on Samsung Electronics’ 850 Evo and 850 Pro solid-state drives for a limited time. For less than two weeks, Samsung’s latest family of solid-state drives will be available with £10 – £50 discounts at Chillblast. For example, it will be …

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Chillblast, a well-known maker of enthusiast-class personal computers from the U.K., offers rather substantial discounts on Samsung Electronics’ 850 Evo and 850 Pro solid-state drives for a limited time.

For less than two weeks, Samsung’s latest family of solid-state drives will be available with £10 – £50 discounts at Chillblast. For example, it will be possible to get Samsung’s 850 Evo 250GB SSD for £89.99, whereas the model 850 Pro 250GB will cost £119.99. The offer ends on the 19th of June, 2015.

samsung_850_pro_1

The Samsung 850 Evo SSDs are based on the company’s triple-level cell (TLC) 3D V-NAND flash memory and are currently the most affordable solid-state drives in the market. The 850 Evo SSD family includes 120GB, 250GB, 500GB and 1TB models. Sequential read performance of the 850 Evo is up to 540MB/s, while write performance is claimed to be up to 520MB/s.

chillblast_samsung_ssd

The Samsung 850 Pro solid-state drives are the company’s flagship SSD offerings based on the second-generation multi-level cell (MLC) 3D V-NAND flash memory with enhanced performance and reliability. Sequential read performance of the 850 Pro reaches up to 550MB/s, while write performance can be up to 520MB/s. Random read performance of the 850 Pro SSDs is up to 100000 input/output operations-per-second (IOPS), with write speeds of up to 90000 IOPS. The drives are available in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB and 1TB storage capacities.

samsung_850_pr0

See the detailed offering from Chillblast HERE.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: If you are in the market for a high-end or an affordable SSD, then Chillblast’s offering will clearly be interesting for you.

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OCZ readies its first TLC NAND-based Trion SSDs https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/anton-shilov/ocz-readies-its-first-tlc-nand-based-trion-ssds/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/anton-shilov/ocz-readies-its-first-tlc-nand-based-trion-ssds/#respond Thu, 28 May 2015 23:58:39 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=251596 OCZ Storage Solutions, a maker of solid-state drives controlled by Toshiba Corp., is working on a new family of client SSDs powered by triple-level cell (TLC) NAND flash memory. The new solid-state storage devices will be aimed at inexpensive PCs, they will provide performance comparable to that of advanced SATA-6Gb/s SSDs, something that will barely …

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OCZ Storage Solutions, a maker of solid-state drives controlled by Toshiba Corp., is working on a new family of client SSDs powered by triple-level cell (TLC) NAND flash memory. The new solid-state storage devices will be aimed at inexpensive PCs, they will provide performance comparable to that of advanced SATA-6Gb/s SSDs, something that will barely impress enthusiasts.

The OCZ Trion 100-series SSDs will be based on Toshiba’s Alishan SSD controller as well as on the company’s TLC NAND flash memory made using second-generation 19nm process technology. Toshiba has been using TLC NAND for special-purpose SSDs for over half of a year now. Therefore, the company’s Alishan controller and supporting firmware should be mature enough for retail client SSDs.

OCZ does not reveal a lot of technical specifications of the Trion 100-series SSDs. Trion 100’s preliminary performance ratings include up to 550MB/s of bandwidth and up to 91,000 random read IOPS, according to OCZ. The drives will likely use Serial ATA-6Gb/s interface as well as 2.5”/7mm form-factor.

ocz_ssd

TLC NAND flash is currently the most affordable type of NAND flash memory produced by Toshiba. Triple-level cell NAND wears out considerably quicker than multi-level cell (MLC) NAND, but with proper controller and firmware this type of memory could be used for reliable and fast SSDs. For example, Samsung Electronics has been offering TLC-based solid-state drives for years.

The release of inexpensive TLC NAND-based SSDs will clearly make OCZ’s lineup more competitive. Moreover, affordable prices of Trion 100-series drives will make SSDs accessible to many users.

OCZ will demonstrate its Trion SSDs at Computex 2015 next week. The drives will be available later this year.

“Computex is the ideal venue for us to unveil our upcoming TLC NAND-based Trion 100 SSDs,” said Alex Mei, chief marketing officer and general manager of the client business at OCZ Storage Solutions. “By leveraging controller and TLC NAND technology from Toshiba, we are pleased to be able to bring to market the exciting new Trion 100 SSD Series which will offer end-users an optimal mix of performance, features, and value, making it easier than ever for value-conscious consumers to leverage the benefits of a high quality yet affordable SSD that delivers improved desktop and mobile computing experiences.”

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: For some reason, OCZ Storage Solutions decided to use Toshiba’s Alishan controller instead of its own JetStream chip. It will be very interesting to learn the reasons behind this decision.

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End of planar NAND flash nears as Samsung to focus on 3D V-NAND https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/anton-shilov/end-of-planar-nand-flash-nears-as-samsung-to-focus-on-3d-v-nand/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/anton-shilov/end-of-planar-nand-flash-nears-as-samsung-to-focus-on-3d-v-nand/#comments Wed, 08 Apr 2015 21:50:48 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=243992 Samsung Electronics plans to concentrate on expansion of production capacities used to make its 3D V-NAND memory going forward. A media report claims that the South Korean conglomerate no longer plans to build new manufacturing facilities for production of traditional planar NAND flash. NAND flash was invented by Toshiba Corp. in 1984 and while its …

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Samsung Electronics plans to concentrate on expansion of production capacities used to make its 3D V-NAND memory going forward. A media report claims that the South Korean conglomerate no longer plans to build new manufacturing facilities for production of traditional planar NAND flash.

NAND flash was invented by Toshiba Corp. in 1984 and while its architecture has been rapidly evolving over the years, its planar structure remained largely unchanged. In the recent years Samsung Electronics introduced vertical NAND, which, while using the same principles as planar NAND, provides a number of benefits. The vertical layers connected using the through-silicon-vias (TSVs) of the 3D V-NAND allow larger areal bit densities without requiring smaller individual cells (hence, eliminating need for ultra-thin manufacturing technologies), which means higher write/erase endurance, general reliability and performance.

samsung_3d_nand_flash

Samsung claims that its 3D V-NAND exhibits at least two times the endurance and writes data (tPROG, program time) at least twice as fast as multi-level-cell (MLC) type planar NAND flash memory made using one of the latest manufacturing processes. Besides, 3D V-NAND is also more energy-efficient than planar NAND memory: it consumes around 40 per cent less of power.

samsung_nand_flash_3d_architecture samsung_nand_flash_3d_architecture_1

Perhaps, what is even more important, 3D NAND allows to rapidly increase capacities of NAND flash chips and solid-state drives, something the industry needs badly. According to predictions by Samsung, total available market for NAND flash memory will grow to 66 billion 1GB equivalent memory chips this year, up from 50 billion of 1GB equivalent memory devices. As a result, it is getting crucial to increase density of NAND flash memory ICs [integrated circuits], something, which 3D NAND technology allows to do relatively easily.

samsung_nand_flash_demand

Samsung’s 3D V-NAND has become mature enough in the recent years and now the company plans to significantly increase production of this type of non-volatile computer storage medium. In fact, BusinessKorea reports that Samsung no longer plans to build new facilities to make planar NAND flash, but to focus solely on expansion of 3D V-NAND.

“Samsung Electronics will not set up a general NAND flash plant any longer, but concentrate on V-NAND from now on,” a source with knowledge of Samsung’s plans is reported to have said.

samsung_nand_flash_roadmap

At present Samsung produces 3D V-NAND memory at one its facilities in Hwaseong, South Korea, as a well as at a dedicated 3D NAND fab in Xi’an, China. The Chinese factory can process around 100 thousand 300mm wafers per month. Eventually the company plans to expand its Xi’an manufacturing complex in a bid to produce 300 thousand 300mm wafers per month, the report claims. Manufacturing capacities used to make 3D NAND memory may not need leading-edge process technologies, but they require specific advanced equipment.

Planar NAND flash memory will continue to be produced and utilized for various applications for many years to come. Even Samsung Electronics itself will likely introduce one or two more manufacturing technologies for making NAND. Moreover, the company will likely upgrade at least some of its current fabs that make planar flash memory to new fabrication processes.

Samsung’s decision to concentrate 3D V-NAND capacities clearly indicates where the market is going. In fact, Samsung is not alone with its focus on 3D NAND. Other makers of flash, including Toshiba/SanDisk, SK Hynix and Micron are also about to start making 3D NAND for the same reasons as Samsung. Moreover, Micron Technology, which began to expand its fab 10N in Singapore in early March, also intends to use its new manufacturing capacities to make second-gen 3D NAND flash memory.

Samsung did not comment on the news-story.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Given all the advantages that 3D NAND has over planar NAND, it makes a great sense for makers of flash memory to focus on the former instead of the latter. One of the things that needs to be mentioned is that new production facilities are getting more and more expensive. In fact, some analysts believe that 3D NAND technology is more than two times more capital intensive than planar NAND. Therefore, in the long term, those, who want to stay in the business, have to be big and profitable. With $56 billion in its wallet, Samsung can be rather confident about its future.

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Samsung unveils 128GB storage for budget mobile devices https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/laptops/anton-shilov/samsung-unveils-low-cost-128gb-storage-device-for-entry-level-smartphones-tablets/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/laptops/anton-shilov/samsung-unveils-low-cost-128gb-storage-device-for-entry-level-smartphones-tablets/#respond Fri, 20 Mar 2015 02:45:48 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=241056 Samsung Electronics has introduced a new NAND flash device that could enable low-cost smartphones and tablets with up to 128GB of storage space. The new eMMC memory chip is based on triple-level cell (TLC) NAND flash technology and is cheaper to make than multi-level cell (MLC) solutions of similar capacity. Samsung’s 3-bit-per-cell NAND-based flash memory …

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Samsung Electronics has introduced a new NAND flash device that could enable low-cost smartphones and tablets with up to 128GB of storage space. The new eMMC memory chip is based on triple-level cell (TLC) NAND flash technology and is cheaper to make than multi-level cell (MLC) solutions of similar capacity.

Samsung’s 3-bit-per-cell NAND-based flash memory solutions with up to 128GB capacity are eMMC 5.0 standard compliant and are compatible with contemporary mainstream application processors. The TLC NAND flash device for mobile applications features up to 260MB/s sequential read speed and can handle up to 6000 IOPS (input/output operations per second) and 5000 IOPS for read and write operations, respectively. While performance of the solution is below that of eMMC 5.1 counterparts based on the MLC NAND flash, it should be sufficient for mainstream devices. Samsung claims that its new 3-bit 128GB eMMC 5.0 memory device is the industry’s highest density eMMC 5.0 solution.

samsung_tlc_nand_flash_smarthphone

Traditionally, TLC NAND (also known as 3-bits-per-cell NAND) flash memory has been used for memory cards, audio players, USB drives and other consumer applications that do not rewrite data too often. For solid-state storage applications (like SSDs or smartphones) device makers preferred to use MLC NAND. The commodity MLC (also known as 2-bits per-cell NAND) memory can typically endure 3000 – 10000 erase/write cycles, whereas TLC can sustain just about 1000 erase/write cycles. In a bid to make a reliable TLC-based solid-state storage device, a special firmware design that balances performance, reliability and product life is needed.

“With the introduction of our value-focused, 3-bit NAND-based eMMC 5.0 line-up, we expect to take the lead in the expansion of high-density mobile storage,” said Jung-Bae Lee, senior vice president of memory product planning and application engineering team at Samsung Electronics. “We are continuing to enhance our next-generation embedded mobile memory offerings with improved performance and higher densities to meet increasing customer demand across the mobile industry.”

Samsung will begin shipments of new memory devices in the coming months.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Samsung uses TLC NAND for a variety of applications, including solid-state drives for client and server PCs. Therefore, it is not surprising that the company now offers TLC-based solutions for low-cost smartphones and tablets.

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Samsung announces 850 Evo SSD with TLC V-NAND flash https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/anton-shilov/samsung-announces-850-evo-ssd-with-tlc-nand-flash/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/anton-shilov/samsung-announces-850-evo-ssd-with-tlc-nand-flash/#comments Mon, 08 Dec 2014 23:59:30 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=225408 Samsung Electronics on Monday formally announced its highly anticipated lineup of solid-state drives based on triple-level cell (TLC) vertically integrated NAND flash memory. The Samsung 850 Evo family of SSDs promises to offer high performance at relatively low price-points. The Samsung 850 Evo SSDs line includes 120GB, 250GB, 500GB and 1TB models. Sequential read performance …

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Samsung Electronics on Monday formally announced its highly anticipated lineup of solid-state drives based on triple-level cell (TLC) vertically integrated NAND flash memory. The Samsung 850 Evo family of SSDs promises to offer high performance at relatively low price-points.

The Samsung 850 Evo SSDs line includes 120GB, 250GB, 500GB and 1TB models. Sequential read performance of the 850 Evo is up to 540MB/s, while write performance is claimed to be up to 520MB/s. The new SSDs use Serial ATA-6Gb/s interface and come in 2.5”/7mm form-factor. Next year, Samsung plans to introduce an extended line-up of the 850 Evo in mSATA and M.2 form factors, based on 3-bit V-NAND flash memory

“We are thrilled to be providing users with an improved computing experience through the new 850 EVO SSDs,” said Unsoo Kim, senior vice president of the branded product marketing team at Samsung Electronics. “Samsung will continue to introduce V-NAND-based SSDs in a variety of form factors, while accelerating the growth of the global SSD market.”

samsung_ssd_enterprise_3d_v_nand_1

While the Samsung 850 Pro SSD that launched in July uses 2-bit 3D V-NAND for professional use in high-end client PCs and small- and medium-sized enterprise servers, the 850 Evo is based on 3-bit 3D V-NAND technology. This makes it considerably more affordable and therefore more suitable for general consumer use in devices such as notebook and gaming PCs.

For some reason, Samsung has not announced details about pricing and availability of its 850 Evo SSDs.

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KitGuru Says: TLC V-NAND promises to be the lowest-cost flash memory. Therefore, Samsung 850 Evo SSDs are expected to be considerably more affordable than other contemporary solid-state drives. It is unknown why Samsung decided to not announce pricing of the new products. One of the reasons for that could be a delay of actual sales.

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Intel promises 10TB+ SSDs thanks to 3D Vertical NAND flash memory https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/anton-shilov/intel-promises-10tb-ssds-thanks-to-3d-v-nand-flash-memory/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/anton-shilov/intel-promises-10tb-ssds-thanks-to-3d-v-nand-flash-memory/#comments Fri, 21 Nov 2014 17:54:58 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=222897 At present solid-state drives with extreme capacities are very expensive and even the best of them cannot match high-capacity hard disk drives for nearline storage applications. However, thanks to the evolution of NAND flash memory in general, and 3D vertical NAND (3D V-NAND) in particular, the situation may change soon and SSDs with 10TB or …

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At present solid-state drives with extreme capacities are very expensive and even the best of them cannot match high-capacity hard disk drives for nearline storage applications. However, thanks to the evolution of NAND flash memory in general, and 3D vertical NAND (3D V-NAND) in particular, the situation may change soon and SSDs with 10TB or higher capacities will become reality.

Intel Corp. revealed at its Investor Meeting 2014 event this week that in the second half of 2015 its joint venture with Micron Technology – Intel Micron Flash Technologies (IMFT) – will start mass production of 3D vertical NAND flash memory chips with up to 256Gb (multi-level cell, 2-bit-per cell) or 384Gb (triple-level cell, 3-bit-per cell) capacity. 3D V-NAND flash memory chips will feature 32-layer vertically stacked cell arrays that are “interconnected” using four billion through silicon vias (TSVs).

The upcoming 3D NAND chips from Intel and Micron will enable solid-state drives with capacities simply not possible today. According to Rob Crooke, senior vice president and general manager of Intel's non-volatile memory group, the 3D NAND will enable 10TB and larger solid-state storage solutions in the next two years.

intel_3dnand_3d_v_nand_flash_micron_256kb

In a bid to build 4TB Optimus Max solid-state drive earlier this year, SanDisk had to use 64 extremely expensive 64GB (512Gb) eMLC NAND flash memory packages (which integrate four 128Gb eMLC memory chips into one package) that rely on planar NAND flash and are made using thin process technologies. By contrast, Intel’s 256Gb MLC 3D NAND flash memory chip which can hold up to 32GB of data (384Gb/48GB TLC NAND flash) will be made using a mature (i.e., thicker) process technology (Intel does not disclose which one) and will have a “breakthrough” cost. As a result, multi-terabyte solid-state drives will not only become reality, but will not cost several thousands of pounds per unit.

Mr. Crook used a prototype solid-state drive based on the 32-layer 256Gb MLC NAND flash memory to run his presentation at the Investor Meeting 2014, which means that the technology is viable and products on its base are already functional.

At present Samsung Electronics produces 128Gb 24-layer and 32-layer 3D V-NAND MLC NAND memory chips using 42nm process technology. According to Chipworks, “visible” capacity of the 128Gb MLC 3D V-NAND chips is 86Gb, which means that Samsung remains pretty cautious about its multi-layer MLC NAND memory.

Intel’s 3D NAND memory project seems to be far more ambitious than Samsung’s: it will start at 32 layers and 256Gb capacity, which means that Intel’s chips will be more cost-efficient than those from its rival.

intel_ssd_enterprise_1

While Intel’s upcoming 3D NAND chips could feature the cheapest cost-per-bit in the industry, its effect on the market of NAND flash-based storage may be limited. IMFT can produce around 70 thousand of 300mm wafers per month, which includes different types of memory, based on data from a ChinaFlashMarket.com report. While Intel and Micron could manufacture their 3D NAND memory at IMFS (80 thousand of 300mm wafers per month) or MTV (40 thousand of 300mm wafers per month) fabs, they will hardly be able to produce volumes comparable to those of Samsung’s. The South Korea-based conglomerate produces 3D V-NAND at its China Xi’an fab that is dedicated to this type of memory and which can process 100 thousand 300mm wafers per month. In addition, Samsung can make 3D V-NAND at other facilities, which total production capacity exceeds 400 thousand 300mm wafers per month.

Although Intel’s 3D NAND may not necessarily revolutionize the market of NAND flash storage in general, it still represents a great opportunity for the company to boost its revenue and SSD market share. Intel NAND and SSD revenue in 2014 is expected to be around $2 billion, thanks to innovations like 256Gb 3D NAND, it will grow further in the coming years.

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KitGuru Says: Solid-state drives of decent capacities are already pretty affordable, at least for the PC enthusiast world. Thanks to Intel’s 256Gb 3D NAND flash chips, the cost of SSDs will drop even more, which will mean that even affordable notebooks could replace hard disk drives with SSDs. Still, there is a new era of ultra-high-definition video and games incoming. To store massive amounts of UHD data, we will definitely need not only high-capacity SSDs, but also high-capacity HDDs.

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Prices of Samsung 850 Evo SSDs leak: 1TB SSD for $477 https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/anton-shilov/prices-of-samsung-850-evo-ssds-leak-1tb-ssd-for-477/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/anton-shilov/prices-of-samsung-850-evo-ssds-leak-1tb-ssd-for-477/#comments Wed, 29 Oct 2014 20:22:02 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=219216 Prices of Samsung Electronics’ solid-state drives based on triple-level cell (TLC) 3D V-NAND memory have leaked online. As expected, the new SSDs are among the most affordable in the industry. Performance of the drives based on the most cost-efficient NAND flash memory to date is on par with mainstream solid-state drives by Samsung and other …

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Prices of Samsung Electronics’ solid-state drives based on triple-level cell (TLC) 3D V-NAND memory have leaked online. As expected, the new SSDs are among the most affordable in the industry. Performance of the drives based on the most cost-efficient NAND flash memory to date is on par with mainstream solid-state drives by Samsung and other manufacturers.

The Samsung 850 Evo SSDs will be available in 120GB, 250GB, 500GB and 1TB storage capacities. Sequential read performance of the 850 Evo is expected to be up to 550MB/s, while write performance is projected to be up to 520MB/s, according to a description located at Fry’s Electronics, a major U.S. retail chain that also sells devices online. The new SSDs will use Serial ATA-6Gb/s interface and will come in 2.5”/7mm form-factor.

The most important aspect of the Samsung 850 Evo family is its current pricing. At Fry’s, 1TB version of the 850 Evo SSD is listed at $499, whereas at Antares Pro the same solid-state drive can be pre-ordered for $477. Antares Pro is also taking pre-orders on 120GB, 250GB and 500GB models, which are going to cost $100, $146 and $258, respectively.

samsung_850_pro_1

While the initial prices of the Samsung 850 Evo solid-state drives can be slightly higher when compared to models that have been available on the market for some time now, the fact that the prices are relatively low means that Samsung could eventually further decrease them. Moreover, since Samsung has not formally introduced its 850 Evo family of SSDs, actual recommended prices could become even lower than those listed today.

The Samsung 850 Evo family of solid-state drives is expected to become available in late November.

Samsung did not comment on the news-story.

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KitGuru Says: This holiday season will be a good time to buy an SSD. Many makers will enter the price-war against each other and Samsung in a bid to sell more drives, therefore, it will be easy to get a fine high-capacity SSD at an affordable price-point.

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Toshiba and SanDisk will start to ship 3D V-NAND flash in 2016 https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/anton-shilov/toshiba-and-sandisk-will-start-shipments-of-3d-v-nand-flash-in-2016/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/anton-shilov/toshiba-and-sandisk-will-start-shipments-of-3d-v-nand-flash-in-2016/#respond Tue, 21 Oct 2014 01:32:23 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=217558 Toshiba Corp. and SanDisk Corp. will initiate volume production of 3D V-NAND flash memory only in 2016, three years after Samsung Electronics. The first samples of 3D V-NAND from the two companies will become available sometimes in the second half of next year. “Our 3D NAND technology development continues to make good progress and we …

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Toshiba Corp. and SanDisk Corp. will initiate volume production of 3D V-NAND flash memory only in 2016, three years after Samsung Electronics. The first samples of 3D V-NAND from the two companies will become available sometimes in the second half of next year.

“Our 3D NAND technology development continues to make good progress and we expect to be in pilot production in the second half of 2015 with target volume production in 2016,” said Sanjay Mehrotra, chief executive officer of SanDisk, during a conference call with investors and financial analysts last week.

Multi-layer 3D V-NAND memory stacks up to 32 (in Samsung's case) NAND storage layers in one chip package. The vertical layers connected using the through-silicon-vias (TSVs) of the 3D V-NAND allow larger areal bit densities without requiring smaller individual cells (hence, no need for ultra-thin manufacturing technology), which generally means higher reliability and performance.

toshiba_embedded_nand

Samsung Electronics has been mass producing 3D V-NAND memory since 2013. Usage of 3D V-NAND allows Samsung to offer very affordable solid-state drives for entry-level market segments. Since SanDisk and Toshiba will not start mass production of their 3D V-NAND memory for several quarters, it is likely that they will not be competitive against affordable SSDs from Samsung Electronics.

Toshiba and SanDisk are about to roll-out MLC and TLC NAND flash memory produced using planar 15nm fabrication process. While the new manufacturing technology will allow to drop the price of NAND, it is likely that Samsung’s 3D V-NAND memory will still remain even cheaper in terms of per-bit cost.

According to information from market analysts, Toshiba's/SanDisk's 3D V-NAND memory will feature only up to 16 layers.

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KitGuru Says: It remains to be seen whether the lack of 3D V-NAND memory in the lineup will cause market share drops for SanDisk and Toshiba.

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SanDisk to begin shipments of 15nm NAND flash this year https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/anton-shilov/sandisk-to-begin-shipments-of-15nm-nand-flash-this-year/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/anton-shilov/sandisk-to-begin-shipments-of-15nm-nand-flash-this-year/#respond Mon, 20 Oct 2014 22:55:33 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=217519 SanDisk Corp. said that it is on-track to ship NAND flash memory produced using 15nm fabrication process this quarter. The company will expand production using 15nm process technology in 2015. SanDisk believes that such memory will be considerably cheaper compared to NAND produced by other makers. “We are on track to begin product shipments of …

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SanDisk Corp. said that it is on-track to ship NAND flash memory produced using 15nm fabrication process this quarter. The company will expand production using 15nm process technology in 2015. SanDisk believes that such memory will be considerably cheaper compared to NAND produced by other makers.

“We are on track to begin product shipments of 15nm this quarter, with meaningful production in Q1 of 2015,” said Sanjay Mehrotra, chief executive officer of SanDisk, during a conference call with investors and financial analysts last week. “We believe our 15nm technology node, using both X2 (MLC – KitGuru) and X3 (TLC – KitGuru) architectures, will be the lowest cost memory technology in the industry in 2015, with capability to serve all product apps, ranging from consumer to enterprise.”

It is interesting to note that Toshiba announced 15nm NAND flash back in April. Apparently, actual mass production of memory using 15nm process technology started only recently…

While NAND flash made using thinner process technologies tends to be cheaper than NAND flash made using thicker fabrication processes, it should be noted that it also features lower write endurance. For example, if multi-level cell NAND flash made using 40nm-class process could sustain around 10000 program-erase cycles, then modern MLC NAND can sustain only around 3000 P/E cycles. Endurance of SanDisk’s 15nm NAND flash is unclear.

toshiba_15nm_nand_flash

Since SanDisk co-owns NAND flash production facilities with Toshiba, it is logical to expect the latter to also start shipping 15nm NAND flash to its partners this year. For example, OCZ, which is owned by Toshiba, could launch SSDs based on the new memory early in 2015.

The Q4 of SanDisk’s fiscal year corresponds to the fourth calendar quarter.

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KitGuru Says: It will be interesting to see how durable will TLC NAND flash memory made using 15nm technology be. Will it endure 1000 P/E cycles like modern TLC, or will it become even less durable?

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Samsung confirms mass production of TLC 3D V-NAND flash memory https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/anton-shilov/samsung-confirms-mass-production-of-tlc-3d-v-nand-flash-memory/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/anton-shilov/samsung-confirms-mass-production-of-tlc-3d-v-nand-flash-memory/#respond Thu, 09 Oct 2014 19:49:44 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=215956 Samsung Electronics on Thursday confirmed that it had begun mass production of triple-layer cell (TLC, or 3-bit-per-cell, 3bpc) three-dimensional vertical NAND (3D V-NAND) flash memory. The company will use the memory for its upcoming solid-state drives that promise to offer decent performance, reliability as well as affordability. Samsung’s first TLC 3D V-NAND flash memory chips …

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Samsung Electronics on Thursday confirmed that it had begun mass production of triple-layer cell (TLC, or 3-bit-per-cell, 3bpc) three-dimensional vertical NAND (3D V-NAND) flash memory. The company will use the memory for its upcoming solid-state drives that promise to offer decent performance, reliability as well as affordability.

Samsung’s first TLC 3D V-NAND flash memory chips have 128Gb capacity and utilize 32 stacked cell layers per memory device. It is unclear which process technology is used to make 3bpc 3D V-NAND memory (it is expected that Samsung continues to use 42nm fabrication process for all 3D V-NAND in general), but the manufacturer claims that compared to its 10nm-class 3-bit planar NAND flash, the new 3-bit V-NAND has more than doubled wafer productivity (which generally means two times lower cost).

Samsung is the first NAND flash maker in the world to introduce TLC 3D V-NAND memory to the market. Both TLC and V-NAND technologies are designed to make flash memory more affordable. Since TLC memory is not as endurable as traditional MLC [multi-level cell, 2-bit-per-cell, 2bpc], many manufacturers continue to be cautious about the type. Samsung is ahead of many since it wedded TLC with V-NAND and is expected to introduce SSDs featuring the new memory chips in the coming months or even weeks.

samsung_nand_flash_memory_3d_v_nand_0140529_06L

The manufacturer has already showcased the world’s first SSD based on TLC 3D V-NAND memory, the Samsung SSD 850 Evo.

“With the addition of a whole new line of high density SSDs that is both performance- and value-driven, we believe the 3-bit V-NAND will accelerate the transition of data storage devices from hard disk drives to SSDs,” said Jaesoo Han, Senior Vice President, Memory Sales & Marketing, Samsung Electronics. “The wider variety of SSDs will increase our product competitiveness as we further expand our rapidly growing SSD business.”

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KitGuru Says: Samsung continues to be ahead of its rivals when it comes to evolution of NAND flash memory. If TLC 3D V-NAND proves to be inexpensive, rapid, reliable and durable at the same time, then Samsung will be able to offer quality SSDs that will be priced well below those from its rivals.

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Toshiba: SSDs will be cheaper than HDDs by 2025 https://www.kitguru.net/components/hard-drives/anton-shilov/toshiba-ssds-will-be-cheaper-than-hdds-by-2025/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/hard-drives/anton-shilov/toshiba-ssds-will-be-cheaper-than-hdds-by-2025/#comments Thu, 02 Oct 2014 22:59:05 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=214937 In the recent couple of years solid-state drives got significantly more affordable then they were four or five years ago. Still, they are considerably more expensive than hard disk drives on cost-per-gigabyte (or the cost-per-bit) basis. According to Toshiba Corp., this is going to change by 2025, when SSDs will be more affordable than 3.5” hard …

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In the recent couple of years solid-state drives got significantly more affordable then they were four or five years ago. Still, they are considerably more expensive than hard disk drives on cost-per-gigabyte (or the cost-per-bit) basis. According to Toshiba Corp., this is going to change by 2025, when SSDs will be more affordable than 3.5” hard drives of the same capacity.

Yasuo Naruke, corporate executive vice president of Toshiba, and president of semiconductor & storage products company said at a press conference in Tokyo, Japan, that the cost-per-bit of high-speed SSDs is constantly getting lower. As a result, the trend of replacement of hard disk drives with solid-state drives is accelerating both on the consumer and the enterprise storage markets, reports Nikkei Technology.

At present the cost-per-gigabyte of advanced SSDs is similar to that of 2.5” hard drives with 15K revolutions per minute spindle speed. According to Toshiba, the cost-per-gigabyte of high-speed SSDs will become lower than that of 15K HDDs in 2016 and that of 2.5” 10K HDDs in 2021. As a result, the company believes that many datacenters are going to accelerate replacement of advanced 10K and 15K enterprise-class HDDs with SSDs after 2015.

Toshiba projects that the cost-per-gigabyte of solid-state drives will get lower than that of low-speed (7200rpm), large-capacity nearline hard disk drives (3.5”) in about 2025.

toshiba_hg6_ssd_img

Toshiba sells both hard disk drives and solid-state drives, therefore, it clearly understands where the per-bit-cost trajectories are going. The big problem is that it is easier to build magnetic media than solid-state memory. As a result, Toshiba and its rivals on the market of solid-state memory will have to build appropriate amount of semiconductor manufacturing capacities.

“We will have a question such as ‘How many NAND manufacturing plants should we build?' It is important to be able to win in such a situation (with strategies for both SSDs and HDDs),” said Mr. Naruke.

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KitGuru Says: Solid-state drives are still a luxury for many. However, by 2025 it looks like HDDs will become a luxury. Of course, if Toshiba and other producers of flash memory invest sufficient amounts of money in building giant semiconductor production facilities in order to build enough solid-state memory.

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Samsung readies ‘SSD for everyone’ based on TLC 3D V-NAND memory https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/anton-shilov/samsung-readies-ssd-for-everyone-based-on-tlc-3d-v-nand-memory/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/anton-shilov/samsung-readies-ssd-for-everyone-based-on-tlc-3d-v-nand-memory/#comments Wed, 10 Sep 2014 04:40:26 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=210972 It is not a secret that Samsung Electronics has plans to manufacture triple-level-cell (TLC) 3D V-NAND flash memory and even build solid-state drives on its base. What is surprising is that such memory is not only already in production, but that the company is already preparing an SSD family based on three-bit 3D V-NAND. At …

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It is not a secret that Samsung Electronics has plans to manufacture triple-level-cell (TLC) 3D V-NAND flash memory and even build solid-state drives on its base. What is surprising is that such memory is not only already in production, but that the company is already preparing an SSD family based on three-bit 3D V-NAND.

At the IFA 2014 trade-show in Berlin, Germany, Samsung demonstrated a prototype of a solid-state drive based on the NAND flash memory that combines relatively low manufacturing cost with high performance and high endurance, according to Les Numeriques. No exact details about the upcoming Samsung 850 Evo SSDs are known, but it is clear that they will be available in 2.5” form-factor and with Serial ATA-6Gb/s interface.

samsung-850-evo-hq

Manufacturers of NAND flash are always looking for ways to increase bit density of their memory amid growing demand for solid-state storage and necessity to lower price of NAND flash. One of the ways to boost bit density is to increase the amount of bits stored by every NAND flash cell to three bits (up from two bits in case of MLC), which greatly decreases write endurance of memory. Another way is to make NAND flash using thinner manufacturing technology, which also lowers write endurance. When both methods are combined, write endurance of memory gets dramatically low.

Yet another way to boost bit density is to stack numerous layers of NAND flash vertically; this type of memory is called 3D V-NAND. Samsung uses 42nm process technology to make 3D V-NAND, which greatly increases its endurance compared to planar NAND flash made using 10nm- or 20nm-class process technologies. Moreover, performance of stacked NAND flash is pretty high too.

Given the fact that Samsung is already demonstrating its 850 Evo SSDs at a trade-show, it is highly likely that they will reach the market in the foreseeable future, a good news for those, who plan to get an affordable SSD for Christmas.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Actual pricing of the Samsung 850 Evo SSDs remains to be seen, but given that the manufacturing costs of TLC NAND are pretty low, it is highly likely that the novelty will become another best-seller for Samsung…

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Samsung to make TLC 3D V-NAND flash memory https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/anton-shilov/samsung-to-make-tlc-3d-v-nand-flash-memory/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/anton-shilov/samsung-to-make-tlc-3d-v-nand-flash-memory/#respond Tue, 08 Jul 2014 22:56:59 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=202149 Samsung Electronics plans to wed triple-level cell NAND flash technology with vertical stacking of NAND flash memory. The new type of NAND will be very cost-efficient to manufacture, which will help Samsung to decrease pricing of its solid-state storage solutions, such as memory cards, storage modules, solid-state drives and so on. Manufacturers of NAND flash …

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Samsung Electronics plans to wed triple-level cell NAND flash technology with vertical stacking of NAND flash memory. The new type of NAND will be very cost-efficient to manufacture, which will help Samsung to decrease pricing of its solid-state storage solutions, such as memory cards, storage modules, solid-state drives and so on.

Manufacturers of NAND flash are always looking for ways to increase bit density of their memory amid growing demand for solid-state storage. One of the ways to boost bit density is to increase the amount of bits stored by every NAND flash cell, but that decreases write endurance of memory. At present NAND makers can cram up to three bits into one cell; such memory type is called triple-level cell (TLC) NAND. Another way is to stack numerous layers of NAND flash vertically; this type of memory is called 3D V-NAND. The latter is usually faster and provides better write endurance than planar NAND flash made using 10nm- or 20nm-class process technologies.

While there are no technical problems of uniting the TLC and the 3D V-NAND technologies, no memory maker has so far revealed such plans. However, last week during the Q&A session of its SSD Global Summit in Seoul, South Korea, Samsung unveiled that it planned to make an announcement related to three-bit 3D V-NAND, claims the TechReport.

samsung_nand_flash_memory_3d_v_nand_0140529_06L

Samsung did not say when it plans to wed the TLC and the 3D V-NAND technologies. Previously it was expected that Samsung will increase the number of layers within its 3D V-NAND chips from 24 or 32 today to 48 in late 2015 – 2016. However, it looks like the company plans to become even more aggressive and release TLC V-NAND in the coming years as well.

Keeping in mind that Samsung is the only maker of 3D V-NAND memory at present and its rivals are not going to start to produce 32-layer NAND flash memory for quite some time, it is unclear why the South Korean maker needs TLC 3D V-NAND. While such memory is rather complex to produce, it may improve performance and write endurance of traditional TLC since stacked NAND is not made using the latest and thinnest process technologies.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: The main question now is when Samsung plans to roll-out its TLC 3D V-NAND memory. If such memory is indeed scheduled to arrive within one year from now, then the company will have an ultimate weapon against its rivals…

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Toshiba, SanDisk start mass production of 15nm NAND memory https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/anton-shilov/toshiba-sandisk-start-mass-production-of-15nm-nand-flash-memory/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/anton-shilov/toshiba-sandisk-start-mass-production-of-15nm-nand-flash-memory/#respond Wed, 23 Apr 2014 10:05:23 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=188706 Toshiba Corp. and SanDisk Corp. on Wednesday said that they would start to produce multi-level cell (MLC) NAND flash memory using 15nm fabrication process later in April. The new manufacturing technology allows Toshiba to make world’s smallest and potentially cost-efficient 128Gb NAND flash memory. Initially, Toshiba and SanDisk will produce 128Gb MLC (two-bits-per-cell) MLC NAND …

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Toshiba Corp. and SanDisk Corp. on Wednesday said that they would start to produce multi-level cell (MLC) NAND flash memory using 15nm fabrication process later in April. The new manufacturing technology allows Toshiba to make world’s smallest and potentially cost-efficient 128Gb NAND flash memory.

Initially, Toshiba and SanDisk will produce 128Gb MLC (two-bits-per-cell) MLC NAND flash memory using the 15nm process technology at Fab 5 phase one, where the fabrication tech will replace the companies’ second-gen 19nm manufacturing process. The phase stage of Fab 5 is currently under construction, and the new technology will also be deployed there.

The new 128Gb MLC NAND flash chips achieve the same write speed as chips formed with second generation 19nm process technology, but boost the data transfer rate to 533Mb/s, 30 per cent faster, by employing a higher speed interface.

Toshiba claims that it had achieved the world's smallest class chip size with the 15nm process and improved peripheral circuitry technology.

toshiba_15nm_nand_flash

According to SanDisk, the 15nm technology uses numerous progressive process innovations and cell-design solutions to scale the chips along both axes. SanDisk's All-Bit-Line (ABL) architecture, which contains proprietary programming algorithms and multi-level data storage management schemes, has been implemented in the 1Z technology to deliver NAND flash solutions with no sacrifice in memory performance or reliability. SanDisk’s 1Z technology will be utilized across its broad range of solutions, from removable cards to enterprise SSDs.

Separately, Toshiba announced that it would use the 15nm fabrication process to produce triple-level-cell (TLC, three-bits-per-cell, 3bpc) NAND flash memory. Such memory, provided that the yields are sufficient, will be the world’s most cost-efficient NAND flash. The company aims to start mass production of TLC NAND using 15nm process in June, 2014.

The company intends to develop controllers for 3bpc embedded NAND flash memory in parallel and introduce TLC NAND products for smartphones and tablets. Eventually Toshiba will use 15nm TLC NAND with special controllers for solid-state drives.

Toshiba and SanDisk run joint NAND flash manufacturing operations in Japan.

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KitGuru Says: If Toshiba and SanDisk manage to sustain 3000 write/erase cycles with 15nm MLC NAND (typical amount of cycles sustained by modern MLC), then the new memory type will enable lower-cost SSDs already this year. In case the new type of memory (like 15nm TLC NAND) requires new controllers, then its adoption will take time.

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Micron Technology promises TLC NAND flash memory in Q4 2014 https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/anton-shilov/micron-technology-promises-tlc-nand-flash-memory-in-q4-2014/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/anton-shilov/micron-technology-promises-tlc-nand-flash-memory-in-q4-2014/#comments Wed, 09 Apr 2014 22:53:04 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=186819 Micron Technology, one of the world’s leading maker of DRAM and NAND flash memory, said that late this year the company would offer triple-level cell NAND flash made using 16nm process technology. Such memory could enable very cost-efficient flash-based storage devices, including solid-state drives in 2015. “Our 16nm NAND yields have been very positive and …

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Micron Technology, one of the world’s leading maker of DRAM and NAND flash memory, said that late this year the company would offer triple-level cell NAND flash made using 16nm process technology. Such memory could enable very cost-efficient flash-based storage devices, including solid-state drives in 2015.

“Our 16nm NAND yields have been very positive and position us well from a cost perspective,” said Mark Adams, the president of Micron, during the most recent conference call with investors and financial analysts. “We are currently planning to ship 16nm TLC [NAND flash] in calendar Q4 in order to better position our portfolio from a cost perspective in the retail and consumer segments.”

micron_128gb_16nm_nand_flash_2

Nowadays the vast majority of NAND flash storage devices (such as SSDs) are based on MLC (multi-level cell, also known as 2-bits per-cell) memory. TLC NAND (also known as 3-bits-per-cell NAND) flash memory has been used for memory cards, audio players, USB drives and other consumer storage applications. The MLC memory is much more durable than TLC memory. For example, typical MLC NAND cell can typically endure 3000 – 10000 erase/write cycles, whereas in case of TLC the number of erase/write cycles a cell can sustain may be just about 1000. Consequently, in a bid to make TLC-based SSD a special firmware design that balances performance, reliability and product life is needed.

Micron does not exactly promise to start making SSDs based on TLC NAND flash memory this year. It only implies that it will roll-out chips with very competitive prices. Its customers will be able to use them for various consumer uses like eMMC and embedded storage applications, whereas its Crucial subsidiary could use them for inexpensive SSDs sometimes early in the next calendar year. In fact, it will have to do this, given that both Toshiba and SanDisk will offer TLC-based SSDs by late 2014.

micron_128gb_16nm_nand_flash

“Initial applications for our 16nm TLC components will be more consumer and retail oriented upfront,” said Marc Durcan, chief executive officer and president of Micron. “To-date no one has had a lot of success even on the client side enabling TLC memory. There is a lot of work being done […] around controller development […] because I think that is where the error correction and capabilities around enabling TLC to be reliable enough to ship in [the SSD] segment. But we still think that is kind of a 2015 calendar year phenomenon, we do not see that happening in large scale in calendar ‘14.”

KitGuru Says: TLC NAND flash, especially when made using 16nm fabrication process should be very cost-efficient. However, it will be really hard to make it truly reliable as NAND flash using thinner process technology is generally less reliable than NAND flash made using thicker manufacturing process, whereas TLC is less durable than MLC overall.

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