SanDisk and Toshiba have begun samplingt a 256 Gigabit (Gb) 3-bit-per-cell (X3) 48-layer 3D NAND chip at a fab in Yokkaichi, Japan.
SanDisk’s 256 Gb X3 BiCS chip is designed for wide applicability in consumer, client, mobile and enterprise products, and is expected to begin shipping in SanDisk’s products in 2016.
“We are pleased to announce our first 3D NAND chip targeted for production,” said Dr. Siva Sivaram, executive vice president, memory technology, SanDisk. “This is the world’s first 256 Gb X3 chip, developed using our industry-leading 48-layer BiCS technology1 and demonstrating SanDisk’s continued leadership in X3 technology. We will use this chip to deliver compelling storage solutions for our customers.”
BiCS is a nonvolatile memory architecture designed to bring new levels of density, scalability and performance to flash-based devices. BiCS NAND memory will also provide enhanced write/erase endurance, write speeds and energy efficiency relative to conventional 2D NAND.
