Intel and Micron* introduce new 3D XPoint memory technology

SANTA CLARA Calif. and BOISE Idaho , July 28, 2015. – Intel Corporation and Micron Technology, Inc.* Introduced 3D XPoint™ technology, which is a non-volatile memory that can improve the speed of various devices, applications and services that need fast access to large amounts of data. 3D XPoint memory creates a new category of data storage devices for the first time since the introduction of NAND flash memory in 1989.

3D XPoint™ technology – high speed and exceptional reliability

• Intel and Micron* begin production of a new class of non-volatile memory for the first time in 25 years.
• 3D XPoint™ technology delivers up to 1,000 times faster memory transfer rates than NAND.
• Companies have developed unique composites and custom architectures that enable 10 times higher component density than conventional memory.

The development of network-enhanced devices and new digital services has led to a significant increase in the volume of data. Storage and rapid analysis resources are needed to use the information being created, creating a challenge for service providers and system designers who must balance cost, power, and performance in the design of new storage products. 3D XPoint technology combines all the benefits of memory technologies available on the market. High performance and density of components, low power consumption and affordability. This technology has up to 1,000. times faster and has up to 1,000. One thousand times longer life than NAND memory. It also has 10 times higher component density than conventional memory.

“For decades, companies have been looking for ways to reduce latency when a processor accesses data in order to increase the speed of information analysis,” said Rob Crooke, senior vice president and general manager of Intel’s Non-Volatile Memory Solutions Group. – New nonvolatile 3D XPoint class of memory solves this problem and makes storage systems faster.

“One of the most important challenges in the world of modern computing technology is the long time it takes a processor to access data in a storage system,” said Mark Adams, president of Micron*. – This new class of non-volatile memory is a disruptive technology that provides rapid access to large amounts of data and creates entirely new applications.

The digital world is evolving rapidly, with 4.4 zettabytes of digital data created in 2013., To an estimated 44 zettabytes by the end of 2020. 3D XPoint technology can turn this massive amount of data into useful actionable information in nanoseconds. Retailers, for example, can use the new development to quickly detect signs of fraud in financial transactions medical researchers can process and analyze larger data sets in real time, speeding up complex scientific problems, including human genome analysis and disease monitoring.

3D XPoint high speed advantage can increase user comfort when using PCs. The low power consumption nature of the new technology also allows it to be used for a variety of storage applications with low latency: Data is not erased when the device is turned off.

New architecture for advanced memory technology

Building on 10 years of research and development, 3D XPoint technology was built from the ground up to meet the demand for non-volatile, high-speed, high-capacity storage solutions at an affordable price. The technology uses a new class of non-volatile memory that significantly reduces latency, allowing more data to be stored closer to the processor.

Innovative cross-architecture creates a three-dimensional “checkerboard” where memory cells are placed at the intersection of number lines and bit lines, allowing independent addressing. As a result, data can be written and read in small sizes, resulting in a faster and more efficient read/write process.

Features of 3D XPoint Technology:

• Cruciform structure – Perpendicular conductors combine 128 billion memory cells. Each memory cell stores 1 bit of data. This allows for high speed and high density.
• Multi-layer – In addition to being cross-layered, the memory cells are laid out in multiple layers. Original technology allows for 128 GBytes of storage per chip for two memory layers. Future generations of technology will allow more layers to scale capacity.
• Selector usage – Memory cells are accessed and read or written by changing the voltage value sent to each selector. This eliminates the need for transistors, which increases capacity and reduces cost.
• Fast-switching cells – With small cell sizes, high-speed selectors, low latency and fast writes, cells can switch states faster than any non-volatile memory technology.

The speed of 3D XPoint technology

3D XPoint memory technology up to 1K. times faster than NAND memory.

• The average commute time for U.S. residents would be reduced from 25 minutes to 1.5 s.
• A flight from San Francisco to Beijing would take about 43 seconds instead of 12 hours.
• The Great Wall of China could be built in 73 days instead of 200 years.

The latency of hard drives and NAND memory is measured in microseconds and that of 3D XPoint memory in nanoseconds one billionth of a second .

In the time it takes a hard drive to travel across a basketball court, NAND memory can complete a marathon race and a 3D XPoint can circle the globe.

If you compare storing data on a computer to traveling:

• Hard drives could get you from New York to Los Angeles in 4 days 4,000 km .
• In that amount of time, SSDs could take you to the moon 386,000 km .
• During this time, the memory 3D XPoint could take you to Mars and back about 450 million kilometers .

Reliability of 3D XPoint technology

3D XPoint provides up to 1k. 1,000 times longer endurance compared to NAND.

• If 3D XPoint were your car’s engine oil, you’d change the oil once every 4.8 million miles 120 round trips or with 1 trip around the sun .

Bulk solid-state drive can write 40 GBytes per day. This is 8.6 copies of the Encyclopedia Britannica, or 10,000. MP3 files every day for 5 years.

Solid state drive with 1,000 times longer lifespan. times could record the entire print collection of the U.S. Library of Congress 20 TBytes 2 times every day. After 5 years, the volume would match the 1.46 billion standard filing cabinets that store text documents.