25-Nanometer NAND Technology Debut by Intel and Micron
Please direct your attention this way, as there’s a big announcement from the flash memory industry! The dynamic duo of Intel and Micron have banded together to create what’s simultaneously the largest yet smallest consumer flash memory chip. Intrigued? You should be, because it could change the way your portable devices work.
According to IM Flash Technologies (IMFT), Intel and Micron’s manufacturer, this chip can fit through a CD’s center hole, but pack more than ten times the data of that same disc at 8 GB per chip—creating what they deem to be the highest capacity, tiniest NAND chip of its kind to date—thanks to its triple level cell (TLC) technology.
What happens is IMFT’s flash memory architects are able to multiply the present single-bit-per-cell memory while reducing the current 25 nanometer chip size by 20 percent through a semiconductor lithography process. The company team will package the chips in stacks of 8 for a 64 GB package capacity.
Previously, Intel and Micron have attempted to launch a 3-bit-per-cell 34 nm flash chip but discontinued it for its lack of stability as storage. At the beginning of this year, they introduced a 2-bit MLC with 25 nm of NAND. However, these latest triple-layer cell NAND chips are expected to launch into production by the end of this year without a hitch so before you know it, they could find their way into your electronics. Only select customers have the privilege of taking them for a spin prior to mass production.
The promise that lies in this new flash technology is that it will be more cost-effective to produce and operate with less energy. It also gives that capacity boost without requiring more room within devices. This means your USB drives, your iPods, iPhones, iPad and other smartphones and MP3 players could soon boast 64 GB and 128 GB of memory. In some cases, that means that your devices have unprecedented amounts of storage that can double their capabilities. Not that there wasn’t enough you could do with a smartphone or flash drive already!
Intel and Micron have not divulged prices yet, but promise that their smallest/biggest chip to be competitive enough that the cost per megabyte will be less than what’s out on the market today.
Are you excited about this latest NAND flash chip, or are you a skeptic? Don’t forget to share what you think below.
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