Kioxia, SanDisk show off the tiny chip which could go in world's first 1 PB SSD
SanDisk and Koxia have unveiled next-generation QLC 3D flash memory technology, said to increase bit density over the previous generation by 60%
Kioxia and SanDisk have unveiled a groundbreaking chip that could enable the first 1 petabyte (1,000 terabyte) solid-state drive (SSD) for data centers. The Quad-Level-Cell (QLC) 3D flash memory chip, developed in collaboration with Kioxia, employs a novel CMOS directly Bonded to Array (CBA) technology. This technology allows for a significant 60% increase in bit density compared to previous generations of 3D flash memory.
The chip achieves a density of 37 Gb/mm² and can transfer data at an impressive 4.8 Gb/s interface, setting a new benchmark for performance and power efficiency. While the size of the chips makes their implementation impractical for home systems, they are well-suited for ultra-dense 1U and 2U rack servers in data centers.
This development, according to SanDisk's CTO Alper Ilkbahar, is a crucial step towards implementing AI across the connected world. The chip's high density will enable efficient storage for rapidly expanding data volumes, supporting the needs of agent-based, physical AI, and generative AI applications. Kioxia's CTO Hideshi Miyajima adds that QLC technology is essential for delivering greater performance and scalability for AI systems.
The announcement suggests that a 1 PB SSD from Kioxia and SanDisk could be available as early as 2027, ahead of any potential 1 PB SSD from Samsung, which is approaching the challenge using a higher number of layers in ultra-tall stacks.
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