➀ At NVIDIA GTC 2025, Kioxia showcased the LC9 122.88TB PCIe Gen5 NVMe SSD, which features a 2.5" form factor and 122.88TB of storage capacity.
➁ The drive utilizes Kioxia's 2TB QLC BiCS FLASH generation 8 3D flash memory and offers a 0.3DWPD endurance rating.
➂ It is compatible with PCIe Gen5 interface, supporting either a single x4 for standard servers or x2x2 for dual-ported high-availability deployments.
Kioxia LC9 is a new 122.88TB SSD from Kioxia designed for high-capacity and high-density AI clusters. It supports PCIe Gen5 and offers a 0.3DWPD endurance, making it suitable for large-scale data storage needs.
The LC9 uses Kioxia's 2Tb QLC BiCS FLASH generation 8 3D flash memory and is targeted at reducing power, footprint, and TCO compared to traditional hard drives.
The high capacity and advanced interface of the LC9 make it a compelling option for AI storage arrays.
➀ TrendForce reports a 6.2% decline in Q4 NAND revenues, with ASPs falling 4% QoQ;
➁ Samsung's revenue fell 9.7% QoQ due to weak consumer electronics demand;
➂ Kioxia's Q4 revenue declined by only 0.2% QoQ due to enterprise SSD shipments;
➃ Micron's Q4 NAND Flash revenue dropped 9.3% QoQ despite strong enterprise SSD shipments.
Kioxia has unveiled its 10th generation 332-layer 3D NAND flash memory technology, offering up to 33% better performance and enhanced bit density, interface speeds, and power efficiency compared to its 8th generation ICs.
The new technology features a CMOS directly Bonded to Array (CBA) and Toggle DDR6.0 interface, enabling a 4.8 GB/s NAND interface speed.
While the 322-layer design is not yet at the company's goal of a 1,000-layer 3D NAND by 2027, it still represents a significant advancement in bit density by 59% and power efficiency improvements.
➀ Samsung Electronics is releasing a 1Tbit 3D NAND flash memory with storage cell layers up to 400+ layers, achieving a memory density of 28.2Gbit/mm2 using TLC method.
➁ Kioxia and Western Digital's joint development team is reporting a 1Tbit 3D NAND flash memory with 332 layers, with a memory density of up to 29Gbit/mm2.
➂ SK Hynix has developed a 2Tbit 3D NAND flash memory with 321 layers, using QLC method multi-value storage.
➃ Samsung is currently developing the 9th generation 3D NAND with 286 layers and is working on 400-layer technology.
➄ SK Hynix is exploring the potential of manufacturing 3D NAND at ultra-low temperatures, aiming to produce new generation products with over 400 layers by 2025.➅ Kioxia plans to mass-produce 3D NAND storage devices with over 1,000 layers by 2031.
➆ The journey towards 1,000-layer 3D NAND involves multiple improvements in manufacturing processes, including vertical, horizontal, and logical aspects.
➀ Kioxia, a renowned NAND flash giant, has determined its IPO price and listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on December 18th, with an IPO price of 1455 yen per share and a company valuation of 7840 billion yen.
➁ Kioxia, originally a semiconductor storage division of Toshiba, was forced to be split and sold in 2018 due to debt. The transaction sparked fierce competition, and a consortium led by Bain Capital outbid a group led by Western Digital at the last moment with a bid of 182 billion US dollars.
➂ However, it now appears that Kioxia will become one of the most painful failures in private equity in Japan. The acquisition price in 2018 was 2 trillion yen, and the valuation at the time of listing has shrunk by 61%.
➀ Kioxia, a major Japanese NAND Flash manufacturer, has postponed its IPO plan due to investor demands for lower valuation.
➁ Kioxia's parent company, Bain Capital, aimed to use the IPO to recoup investments and inject new capital into the company.
➂ The company's market value has dropped significantly from its peak of $30 billion to around $5 billion in just three years.
