Kioxia and SanDisk demonstrate the world's highest-density 3D NAND flash with 332 active layers and 37 Gbit/mm² areal density.

Kioxia and Sandisk announced their latest BiCS10 3D QLC NAND device at the Future of Memory and Storage Conference. The new memory device represents a significant advancement in storage density, featuring an areal density of 37 Gb/mm², making it the world's densest 3D NAND storage device formally introduced to date. This positions it ahead of their previous BiCS 3D TLC NAND offering, which achieved an areal density of over 29 Gb/mm².

The BiCS10 3D QLC NAND device incorporates 332 active layers and supports interface speeds of up to 4,800 MT/s with a separate command address (SCA) capability. While Kioxia and Sandisk have not disclosed the actual capacity of the IC, industry speculation suggests it should reach approximately 1.33 Tb capacity, based on comparisons with the 1 Tb BiCS10 3D TLC NAND chip introduced the previous month.

The new flash IC targets high-capacity data center-grade solid-state drives designed to maximize storage density while maintaining decent performance. To support these demanding applications, which also require reduced power consumption, Kioxia and Sandisk implemented their power-isolated low-tapped termination (PI-LTT) technique. This technology reduces power consumed by high-speed output drivers without compromising signal integrity.

The BiCS10 3D QLC NAND devices are manufactured using Kioxia and Sandisk's latest BiCS10 process technology, enabling record bit density alongside reduced costs compared to competing high-density 3D QLC NAND products once manufacturing yields reach target levels. This cost advantage will allow the companies to offer ultra-high-capacity SSDs at lower price points than competitors or achieve higher margins at comparable pricing.

"By redefining the performance and efficiency envelope of QLC NAND, our 10th Generation BiCS QLC 3D flash memory delivers simultaneous gains in density, bandwidth, and energy efficiency and establishes a new paradigm for high-capacity flash storage to provide a scalable foundation for next-generation infrastructure applications," said Alper Ilkbahar, chief technology officer at Sandisk.

Kioxia and Sandisk are targeting their BiCS10 3D NAND devices primarily for data center-grade storage applications, particularly AI-oriented SSDs that require both capacity and performance. It remains uncertain whether these ICs will reach client SSDs in the near term.