3D NAND 176 layers, 100TB SSDs!

Micron just unveiled its 176-layer 3D NAND flash memory . This is a major first. This development would allow NAND flash memory to have a higher density and increased performance. It would be entirely possible to produce 100TB SSDs with 176-layer 3D NAND. This technology will therefore be used in PC memory and SSDs, as well as in servers, mobile phones, and the automotive sector.

What does a 176-layer 3D NAND look like?

The 176-layer 3D NAND was created by combining two 88-layer boards. Each 176-layer array is approximately 45 micrometers , which is about two-thirds the thickness of a human hair. Despite its thinness, each array can store up to 30 hours of HD video (equivalent to 10 DVDs). The arrays can then be stacked 16 at a time, with a height of 1.5 mm. Thanks to an advanced manufacturing technique, each 176-layer array occupies roughly the same height as the 64-layer array.

Each layer is filled with a multitude of holes called cells. Each cell is connected to a cell in the layer above by metal. These vertical linking metals number nearly a billion and allow data to be read, recorded, and erased from the cells.

This new type of NAND allows for a density up to 10 times higher than the current generation of 128-layer NAND. This represents a 40% higher compared to the competition.

What about performance and transfer speed?

In terms of performance, this 5th generation NAND flash memory from Micron is based on TLC (3 bits per cell) and incorporates Charge-trap, RG NAND, and CMOS-under-array technologies. This combination results in 15% faster read and write latency than 96-layer UFS 3.1 modules and 25% faster performance than 128-layer NAND flash memory. Similarly, the firmware has been simplified to facilitate product integration into equipment and the market.

The 96- and 128-layer generation NANDs have a transfer speed of 1,200 Megatransfers per second. This new 176-layer 3D NAND can process up to 1,600 Megatransfers per second on the ONFI (Open NAND Flash Interface) bus. This represents a significant improvement of 33.34%.

Micron has already begun mass production of this 176-layer NAND flash memory at its Singapore-based manufacturing facility and has already delivered to its first customers, including Crucial, known for its SSDs. This will allow Micron to compete with certain high-capacity SSD models, such as the 100TB ExaDrive DC produced by Nimbus Data. The 100TB drive from Nimbus Data currently costs $40,000 .

This new NAND will become widely available, particularly in the SSD market, starting at the end of 2020, and we will surely see other products based on this new technology in 2021.