Technology Advancements Enable Three Times More
Capacity1 than Other NAND Technologies
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
- 3D NAND technology uses floating gate
cells and enables the highest-density flash device ever
developed—three times higher capacity1 than other NAND die in
production.
- Enables gum stick-sized SSDs with more
than 3.5 terabytes (TB) of storage and standard 2.5-inch SSDs with
greater than 10TB
- Innovative process architecture
techniques extend Moore’s Law for flash storage, bringing
significant improvements in density while lowering the cost of NAND
flash.
Micron Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: MU), and Intel Corporation
today revealed the availability of their 3D NAND technology, the
world’s highest-density flash memory. Flash is the storage
technology used inside the lightest laptops, fastest data centers,
and nearly every cellphone, tablet and mobile device.
Enables gum stick-sized SSDs with more
than 3.5TB of storage (Photo: Business Wire)
This new 3D NAND technology, which was jointly developed by
Intel and Micron, stacks layers of data storage cells vertically
with extraordinary precision to create storage devices with three
times higher capacity1 than competing NAND technologies. This
enables more storage in a smaller space, bringing significant cost
savings, low power usage and high performance to a range of mobile
consumer devices as well as the most demanding enterprise
deployments.
Planar NAND flash memory is nearing its practical scaling
limits, posing significant challenges for the memory industry. 3D
NAND technology is poised to make a dramatic impact by keeping
flash storage solutions aligned with Moore’s Law, the trajectory
for continued performance gains and cost savings, driving more
widespread use of flash storage.
“Micron and Intel’s collaboration has created an
industry-leading solid-state storage technology that offers high
density, performance and efficiency and is unmatched by any flash
today,” said Brian Shirley, vice president of Memory Technology and
Solutions at Micron Technology. “This 3D NAND technology has the
potential to create fundamental market shifts. The depth of the
impact that flash has had to date—from smartphones to
flash-optimized supercomputing—is really just scratching the
surface of what’s possible.”
“Intel’s development efforts with Micron reflect our continued
commitment to offer leading and innovative non-volatile memory
technologies to the marketplace,” said Rob Crooke, senior vice
president and general manager, Non-Volatile Memory Solutions Group,
Intel Corporation. “The significant improvements in density
and cost enabled by our new 3D NAND technology innovation will
accelerate solid-state storage in computing platforms.”
Innovative Process Architecture
One of the most significant aspects of this technology is in the
foundational memory cell itself. Intel and Micron chose to use a
floating gate cell, a universally utilized design refined through
years of high-volume planar flash manufacturing. This is the first
use of a floating gate cell in 3D NAND, which was a key design
choice to enable greater performance and increase quality and
reliability.
The new 3D NAND technology stacks flash cells vertically in 32
layers to achieve 256Gb multilevel cell (MLC) and 384Gb
triple-level cell (TLC) die that fit within a standard package.
These capacities can enable gum stick-sized SSDs with more than
3.5TB of storage and standard 2.5-inch SSDs with greater than 10TB.
Because capacity is achieved by stacking cells vertically, the
individual cell dimensions can be considerably larger. This is
expected to increase both performance and endurance and make even
the TLC designs well-suited for data center storage.
The key product features of this 3D NAND design include:
- Large Capacities –Three times
the capacity of existing 3D technology1—up to 48GB of NAND per
die—enabling three-fourths of a terabyte to fit in a single
fingertip-sized package.
- Reduced Cost per GB –
First-generation 3D NAND is architected to achieve better cost
efficiencies than planar NAND.
- Fast – High read/write
bandwidth, I/O speeds and random read performance.
- Green – New sleep modes enable
low-power use by cutting power to inactive NAND die (even when
other die in the same package are active), dropping power
consumption significantly in standby mode.
- Smart – Innovative new features
improve latency and increase endurance over previous generations,
and also make system integration easier.
The 256Gb MLC version of 3D NAND is sampling with select
partners today, and the 384Gb TLC design will be sampling later
this spring. The fab production line has already begun initial
runs, and both devices will be in full production by the fourth
quarter of this year. Both companies are also developing individual
lines of SSD solutions based on 3D NAND technology and expect those
products to be available within the next year.
Micron
Take part in Micron’s social conversations where we’re talking
all things storage and memory:
- Media Kit:
www.micron.com/about/news-and-events/media-relations/media-kits/3d-nand-media-kit
- Innovations Blog:
www.micronblogs.com
- Twitter*:
www.twitter.com/micronstorage
- YouTube*:
www.youtube.com/microntechnology
Intel
Contribute to the SSD conversations through Intel’s social
channels:
- IT Peer Network Blogs:
communities.intel.com/community/itpeernetwork/blog
- Facebook*: www.facebook.com/Intel
- Twitter*: www.twitter.com/IntelSSD
- YouTube*:
www.youtube.com/user/channelintel
About Micron Technology, Inc.
Micron Technology, Inc., is a global leader in advanced
semiconductor systems. Micron’s broad portfolio of high-performance
memory technologies—including DRAM, NAND and NOR Flash—is the basis
for solid state drives, modules, multichip packages and other
system solutions. Backed by more than 35 years of technology
leadership, Micron’s memory solutions enable the world’s most
innovative computing, consumer, enterprise storage, networking,
mobile, embedded and automotive applications. Micron's common
stock is traded on the NASDAQ under the MU symbol. To learn more
about Micron Technology, Inc., visit www.micron.com
About Intel
Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) is a world leader in computing innovation.
The company designs and builds the essential technologies that
serve as the foundation for the world’s computing devices. As a
leader in corporate responsibility and sustainability, Intel also
manufactures the world’s first commercially available
“conflict-free” microprocessors. Additional information about Intel
is available at newsroom.intel.com and blogs.intel.com, and about
Intel’s conflict-free efforts at conflictfree.intel.com.
________________________________________________________________________________
©2015 Micron Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. Micron and
the Micron orbit logo are trademarks of Micron Technology,
Inc.Intel is a trademark of Intel Corporation in the United States
and other countries.*All other trademarks are the property of their
respective owners.
This document contains forward looking statements. Forward
looking statements are predictions, projections and other
statements about future events that are based on current
expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks
and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual results to
differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this
document. A detailed discussion of the factors that could affect
Intel’s results and plans is included in Intel’s SEC filings,
including the annual report on Form 10-K.
___________________________________________
1 Capacity difference based on comparison between Micron and
Intel 384 Gb TLC 3D NAND die and other industry 3D NAND TLC
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available:
http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20150326005134/en/
Intel CorporationLindsey Sech,
480-552-3597lindsey.a.sech@intel.comorZeno Group for Micron
TechnologyMelinda Jenkins,
650-801-7957melinda.jenkins@zenogroup.com
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