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Toshiba announces 96-layer 3D Flash chips for SSDs

The new 96-layer BiCS 3D Flash chip will see mass production in 2018. (Source: Computerworld)
The new 96-layer BiCS 3D Flash chip will see mass production in 2018. (Source: Computerworld)
Toshiba and Western Digital counterattack Intel's affordable 64-layer 3D flash SSD launch with announcement of their upcoming 96-layer 3D Flash chips that are said to provide 40% more capacity per chip and cut down costs even more.

With all the major storage solution manufacturers announcing improved technologies for SSDs these days, it’s hard to see the old HDD architecture survive in the next few years. Intel just launched their affordable 64-layer 3D flash SSD and now Toshiba and Western Digital announce that their 96-layer 3D Flash chips are scheduled for sampling later this year, while mass production should begin in 2018.

The newly developed 96-layer memory chip from Toshiba and WD features a BiCS 3D Flash stacked structure that incorporates 3-bit-per-cell technology. The first chips to be sampled this year are the 256 gigabit (32 gigabyte) ones. These are not limited to SSD integration as they are designed to be included in smartphones, tablets and memory cards as well.

Toshiba also plans to extend the range with larger capacity chips storing up to 512 gigabit (64 gigabytes) and 4-bit-per-cell. According to Toshiba’s press release, the innovative 96-layer stacking process provides a capacity increase of approximately 40% per unit chip size over the current 64-layer process. The new stacking process also reduces cost per bit, meaning that SSDs, for example, would see even more price cuts in 2018.

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Bogdan Solca, 2017-06-29 (Update: 2017-06-29)