China's YMTC began sending out samples of 192-layer 3D NAND flash memory chips

Yangtze Memory Technologies (YMTC), the largest Chinese manufacturer of 3D NAND flash memory chips, announced that it has already begun sending out samples of the new 192-layer 3D NAND flash memory chips to customers.
A full-scale release of the chips could occur by the end of the year, according to DigiTimes.Image source: YMTC is producing 128-layer 3D NAND flash memory chips in volume production, providing strong competition for manufacturers in Korea, Japan and the United States.
Experts praise Chinese chips for their high density and throughput, which the company has managed to achieve during its transition to the new architecture Xtacking 2.0.
Xtacking architecture is a proprietary YMTC development.
It is the basis for the production of 64-layer NAND chips.
Last year, the Chinese manufacturer switched to Xtacking 2.0 technology, which has provided a number of advantages for the family of 128-layer products.DigiTimes reports that YMTC overcame all the difficulties associated with the mass production of 128-layer memory type 3D NAND and set up its production.
The company has increased its monthly silicon wafer processing capacity to 100,000.
Insiders say that the NAND memory from the company YMTC interested even in Apple, which will consider using them in their products.Chinese manufacturer has set a goal by the end of 2023 to win 7-8% of the world market of NAND memory production.
In terms of volume, this means processing 200 thousand silicon wafers per month.

Western Digital revealed work on 162-layer BiCS6 flash memory and plans to create memory with more than 200 layers

Western Digital this week revealed its plans for 3D NAND memory in the coming years.
The company said it is working with its Japanese partner Kioxia to develop smaller-area, 162-layer Flash memory chips and flash memory with more than 200 layers of capacity.Image source: Western DigitalThe next-generation BiCS6 3D NAND chip will arrive later this year.
At first glance it will not be the most advanced chips by the number of vertical layers - only 162 layers, which against the background of just presented Micron 232-layer 3D NAND chips looks pretty modest.
Nevertheless, the capacity of WD and Micron's solutions is the same - 128 GB (1 Tb).
The area of BiCS6 is the most compact in the industry of 68 mm2.
The company was able to achieve this by significantly reducing the physical size of memory cells, which helped to use a new material in their structure.
BiCS6 memory will store four bits per cell (QLC).
Reducing the physical volume of the cell with a combination of writing four bits to each cell should lead to a reduction in the number of overwrite cycles, but WD has not yet disclosed this value.
At the same time, the speed of BiCS6 memory promises to be 60 percent faster than current solutions, allowing it to be used both for mass-market drives and high-capacity server SSDs.
Increased density should also reduce the cost of production, which is important for everyone.Image source: Western Digital Another new development looks equally interesting - BiCS+ memory with more than 200 layers.
It is claimed that it is being developed from scratch mainly for server SSDs.
BiCS+ memory will appear by 2024 and will provide up to 55% increase in bits per wafer compared to BiCS6 memory, as well as speed increase of up to 60%.
WD expects to see a 15 percent increase in write speeds, which is as important as anything else for NAND flash memory.Image source: Western DigitalWD is like other 3D NAND manufacturers, with the goal of having 500 or more layers of 3D NAND in the future.
Produce such memory is only possible through a combination of multiple technologies, including vertical \"gluing\" of memory crystals.
The company does not lose hope to release memory with writing five bits in each cell (PLC), but it is no less difficult than releasing 3D NAND with 500 layers, which puts off the time of its appearance.

Micron announced the development of the world's first 232-layer 3D NAND flash memory - 128 GB in one chip

American company Micron announced the development of the industry's first 3D NAND flash memory chips, consisting of 232 layers.
Mass production of the novelty based on TLC cells will start at the end of 2022.
The first products based on the new memory will be available in 2023.
The increased write density promises lower power consumption, higher speeds, and lower costs, which will be converted into either Micron's profit or lower prices for SSDs.Image source: MicronIn order to achieve the record number of layers, Micron used a previously proven method - it placed one 3D NAND chip on top of another, electrically connecting them and placing them on a common substrate (substrate and controller).
In the process of splicing the crystals some of the layers were inevitably lost, so from the two 128-layer crystals came not 256-layer 3D NAND chip, but 232-layer, which is also good.
It should also be noted that Samsung presented a 256-layer 3D NAND back in 2020, but mass production of such chips has not started.
Therefore, the previous record-holder can be considered a 176-layer flash memory chips, the production of which both Micron and Samsung began in the second half of 2021.
Also recall the Chinese company YMTC, which is about to appear in the arsenal of 192-layer 3D NAND.Another advantage of new products Micron can be considered as moving the control electronics under the chip with an array of cells.
This is a CMOS under array (CuA) technology, which all 3D NAND manufacturers have to a greater or lesser extent today.
Micron does not disclose detailed specifications for 232-layer chips.
It is known that the capacity of chips is 1 Tbit (128 GB) and in general they have become faster, which promises the emergence of even more efficient SSDs.

Micron announced the development of the world's first 232-layer 3D NAND flash memory - 128 GB in one chip

American company Micron announced the development of the industry's first 3D NAND flash memory chips, consisting of 232 layers.
Mass production of the novelty based on TLC cells will start at the end of 2022.
The first products based on the new memory will be available in 2023.
The increased write density promises lower power consumption, higher speeds, and lower costs, which will be converted into either Micron's profit or lower prices for SSDs.Image source: MicronTo achieve the record number of layers, Micron used a previously proven method - it placed one 3D NAND chip on top of another, electrically connecting them and placing them on a common substrate (substrate and controller).
In the process of splicing the crystals some of the layers were inevitably lost, so from the two 128-layer crystals came not 256-layer 3D NAND chip, but 232-layer, which is also good.
It should also be noted that Samsung presented a 256-layer 3D NAND back in 2020, but mass production of such chips has not started.
Therefore, the previous record-holder can be considered a 176-layer flash memory chips, the production of which both Micron and Samsung began in the second half of 2021.
Also recall the Chinese company YMTC, which is about to appear in the arsenal of 192-layer 3D NAND.Another advantage of new products Micron can be considered as moving the control electronics under the chip with an array of cells.
This is a CMOS under array (CuA) technology, which all 3D NAND manufacturers have to a greater or lesser extent today.
Micron does not disclose detailed specifications for 232-layer chips.
It is known that the capacity of chips is 1 Tbit (128 GB) and in general they have become faster, which promises the emergence of even more efficient SSDs.