The American company Micron introduced the industry’s first 3D NAND flash memory chips, consisting of 232 layers. Mass production of new items based on TLC cells will begin at the end of 2022. The appearance of the first products on the new memory is expected in 2023. Increased storage density promises lower power consumption, faster speeds, and lower costs, which will translate into either Micron’s profits or lower SSD prices.

Image Source: Micron

To achieve a record number of layers, Micron used a previously tested method – it placed one 3D NAND chip on top of another, connecting them electrically and placing them on a common base (substrate and controller). In the process of splicing the crystals, some of the layers were inevitably lost, so not a 256-layer 3D NAND chip came out of two 128-layer crystals, but a 232-layer one, which is also not bad.

It should also be noted that Samsung introduced 256-layer 3D NAND back in 2020, but did not launch mass production of such chips. Therefore, 176-layer flash memory chips, which both Micron and Samsung launched in the second half of 2021, can be considered previous record holders. It is also necessary to recall the Chinese company YMTC, in whose arsenal is about to appear 192-layer 3D NAND.

Another advantage of the new Micron can be considered the movement of the control electronics under the crystal with an array of cells. This is CMOS under array (CuA) technology, which all 3D NAND manufacturers own to one degree or another today. This allows you to reduce the area of u200bu200bthe memory chip and place even more microcircuits on each plate.

Micron does not disclose detailed specifications for the 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 productive solid state drives.