Samsung unveils sixth-generation V-NAND 3D SSD

Samsung Electronics, the world leader in advanced memory technology, has announced the mass production of 250GB SATA SSDs based on sixth-generation 256-Gigabit V-NAND modules with more than 100 layers of three-bit cells, to be shipped to global PC manufacturers. Samsung took only 13 months to make its next-generation V-NAND, shortening the production cycle by four months while delivering the highest-performance, most energy-efficient and easiest-to-manufacture modules.

Samsung’s sixth-generation V-NAND modules deliver the industry’s fastest data speeds, demonstrating the company’s manufacturing advantage that takes 3D memory to the next level. Thanks to Samsung’s unique “channel etch” technology, the new V-NAND crystals received approximately 40% more cells than the previous generation’s single block 9x memory modules. This is achieved by forming an electrically conductive 136-layer structure, followed by vertical piercing of cylindrical holes from top to bottom, resulting in homogeneous three-dimensional cells with charge trap flash CTF technology.

As the die height in each cell increases, NAND flash chips become more prone to errors and read delays. To overcome this limitation, Samsung implemented a speed-optimized circuit design that achieves maximum data transfer rates of less than 450 microseconds µs for write operations and less than 45 µs for read operations. Compared to the previous generation, the new design delivers more than a 10% increase in performance and a more than 15% reduction in power consumption.

With an optimized design, next-generation V-NAND solutions can get over 300 layers, combining three sixth-generation cells without sacrificing performance or chip reliability. In addition, the next-generation 256GB chip requires only 670 million wavelengths, compared to 930 million in previous-generation solutions. It has reduced the size of chips and reduced the number of manufacturing steps, increasing manufacturing efficiency by 20 percent.

Using high-speed, low-power features, Samsung not only intends to expand the use of its 3D V-NAND solutions in devices such as mobile gadgets and enterprise servers, but also to bring them to the automotive market, where high reliability is key.

“By incorporating advanced 3D memory technology into mass production models, we can introduce memory product lines that have significantly higher speed and power consumption,” said Kye Hyun Kyung, vice president of flash memory and technology at Samsung Electronics. – By shortening the development cycle for next-generation V-NAND products, we plan to aggressively expand the market for our high-speed, high-performance 512-Gb V-NAND solutions.

Samsung plans to introduce 512 Gb triple V-NAND SSDs and eUFS in the second half of the year after the release of the 250GB SSD. The company also intends to expand production of high-powered, high-speed V-NAND solutions of the sixth generation at its Pyeongtaek plant in Korea starting next year.