Samsung Electronics has announced that it has begun mass production for its one-terabit (Tb) triple-level cell (TLC) 9th-generation vertical NAND (V-NAND), a new iteration of its flash technology that is said to deliver industry-leading bit density, offering a 50% increase compared to the previous generation for the next round of high-performance, high-density SSDs. The new NAND is complemented by a next-generation flash interface that supports data input/output speeds of up to 3.2 Gbps.
Production notes:
- 1 Tb TLC 9th-generation V-NAND (Started)
- Quad-level cell (QLC) model (2H 2024)
Improvements include:
- 50% improved bit density
- Cell interference avoidance and cell life extension for enhanced quality/reliability
- “Channel hole etching” technology maximizes fabrication productivity
- New Toggle 5.1 flash interface for up to 3.2 Gbps speeds
- Power consumption improved by 10%
Another look at the product:
Samsung on its new V-NAND:
With the industry’s smallest cell size and thinnest mold, Samsung improved the bit density of the 9th-generation V-NAND by about 50% compared to the 8th-generation V-NAND. New innovations such as cell interference avoidance and cell life extension have been applied to enhance product quality and reliability, while eliminating dummy channel holes has significantly reduced the planar area of the memory cells.
In addition, Samsung’s advanced “channel hole etching” technology showcases the company’s leadership in process capabilities. This technology creates electron pathways by stacking mold layers and maximizes fabrication productivity as it enables simultaneous drilling of the industry’s highest cell layer count in a double-stack structure. As the number of cell layers increase, the ability to pierce through higher cell numbers becomes essential, demanding more sophisticated etching techniques.
The 9th-generation V-NAND is equipped with the next-generation NAND flash interface, “Toggle 5.1,” which supports increased data input/output speeds by 33% to up to 3.2 gigabits-per-second (Gbps). Along with this new interface, Samsung plans to solidify its position within the high-performance SSD market by expanding support for PCIe 5.0.
Power consumption has also been improved by 10% with advancements in low-power design, compared to the previous generation. As reducing energy usage and carbon emissions becomes vital for customers, Samsung’s 9th-generation V-NAND is expected to be an optimal solution for future applications.