Kioxia and SanDisk commence shipment of BiCS9 3D NAND prototypes, featuring a composite layout that merges a 112-layer BiCS5 structure with current charges-before-address (CBA) technology and Toggle 6.0 interface to boost speed and economic efficiency.
In a significant stride forward for data storage, Kioxia and SanDisk have unveiled their ninth-generation BiCS FLASH NAND flash technology, known as BiCS9. This new technology promises higher density, improved performance, and enhanced power efficiency, making it a game-changer in the world of data storage.
BiCS9 is built on a 120-layer stacking process, an advancement from the fifth generation BiCS FLASH technology. This is complemented by the use of advanced CMOS technology, known as CMOS directly Bonded to Array (CBA), which optimises chip manufacturing.
The new technology boasts a 512Gb TLC density, with an 8% increase in bit density. This means more data can be stored in the same physical space, a crucial advantage in the era of ever-increasing data needs.
Performance-wise, BiCS9 outperforms its predecessors significantly. Write performance has seen a 61% improvement, while read performance has increased by 12%. Power efficiency during writes has improved by 36%, and during reads by 27%.
The technology also supports Toggle DDR6.0 interface, offering transfer rates of up to 3.6 Gb/s. Under controlled testing conditions, peak speeds of 4.8 Gb/s have been achieved.
The versatility of BiCS9 is evident in its ability to support various products and applications, including advanced smartphones, PCs, automotive systems, data centers, and generative AI systems.
In a move that sets new industry standards, BiCS9 serves as Kioxia's new marquee offering. The company, who invented NAND flash, is focusing on hybrid architectures that offer faster time-to-market and better cost efficiency, contrasting with rivals like Samsung and Micron who are betting on aggressively scaling layer counts to achieve capacity gains.
Kioxia's long-standing partnership with industry veteran SanDisk has been instrumental in shaping the BiCS series. Since their joint venture began in 2006, the two companies have co-developed multiple generations of 3D NAND technology, pushing the limits of scaling and performance.
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Technology embodied in BiCS9, a ninth-generation BiCS FLASH NAND flash technology, is a key aspect of data-and-cloud computing, given its potential to store vast amounts of data, thanks to its 512Gb TLC density and improved performance. The use of advanced CMOS technology, such as CMOS directly Bonded to Array (CBA), and the support for Toggle DDR6.0 interface, demonstrate the integration of technology in BiCS9.
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