Samsung Electronics mass-produces industry's first 9th generation V-NAND

Samsung Electronics' ninth generation V-NAND flash chip [SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS]

Samsung Electronics has begun mass-producing the ninth generation V-NAND flash memory chip which is known to be 290-layered, the company announced Tuesday, as it looks to spearhead the growing AI server market.

The newest 1-TB capacity chip has a 50 percent improvement to its bit density, the amount of data that can be stored in a given area, compared to the previous 236-layered version by capitalizing on a smaller cell size and thinner mold.

Samsung Electronics said the ninth generation NAND has achieved the highest layer possible with a double-stack structure, which refers to the integration of two separate NANDs into one utilizing advanced channel hole-etching technology. The process involves drilling electron pathways through the stacked cell layers. Being able to pierce through a higher number of cells at once is crucial to enhancing production efficiency.

The Korean chip giant is looking to retrieve its leadership in the burgeoning NAND market.

Samsung Electronics was first to develop V-NANDs or 3D NANDs in 2013, utilizing vertically-stacked cells to enhance storage density over 2D NANDs, which have an adjacent cell arrangement. It started with 24 layers.

The competition to stack more layers heated up with SK hynix last year breaking the 300-layer threshold with a plan for mass-production by 2025. It is currently mass-producing a 238-layered one.

“We are excited to deliver the industry’s first ninth-gen V-NAND, which will bring future applications forward by leaps and bounds," said Hur Sung-hoi, head of flash product & technology within the memory business at Samsung Electronics.

"In order to address the evolving need for NAND flash solutions, Samsung has pushed the boundaries in cell architecture and operational schemes for our next-generation product. Through our latest V-NAND, Samsung will continue to set the trend for the high-performance, high-density, solid-state drive market that meets the needs of the coming AI generation.”

Samsung aims to expand the AI server market with its NAND chips.

NAND sales are expected to grow by an average of 24 percent every year, going from $38.7 billion in 2022 to $114.8 billion in 2028, market tracker Omdia said.

BY JIN EUN-SOO [jin.eunsoo@joongang.co.kr]