Samsung starts producing fast, super-durable 3D vertical NAND chips

August 06, 2013

Samsung has started making flash storage chips that it claims will be twice as fast and up to 10 times more durable than the current flash storage used in mobile devices. The so-called V-NAND flash memory employs a 3D structure in which storage modules are stacked vertically, said Steve Weinger, director of NAND marketing at Samsung Semiconductor, a division of Samsung. Samsung is already producing the new flash chips in volume and has shipped units to companies for qualification and testing. The technology will likely appear in enterprise solid-state drives this year and in mobile devices next year, Weinger said. The 3D memory differs markedly from conventional NAND flash, in which storage modules are placed side by side. Samsung has stacked 24 NAND layers in one chip package, with each stack connected by a proprietary interconnect that Weinger described as the "secret sauce" that makes the 3D storage faster than conventional NAND. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Link: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2046016/samsung-prepares-fast-durable-3d-flash-storage-for-mobile-devices.html#tk.rss_all