➀ Samsung Electronics has developed a 400-layer NAND technology, surpassing SK hynix's 321-layer NAND; ➁ The 400-layer NAND will enter mass production in the second half of 2025; ➂ Samsung plans to provide details on its new 1Tb 400-layer TLC NAND at the ISSCC 2025.

➀ SK Hynix has commenced production of its 321-layer NAND chip; ➁ The chip features the highest number of layers in the industry; ➂ The product was first introduced at Flash Summit 2023 in August.

➀ Samsung is reportedly reducing its foundry and legacy DRAM production; ➁ The South Korean semiconductor giant is considering selling outdated NAND equipment in China; ➂ Local Chinese companies are said to be potential buyers.

➀ Samsung is reportedly planning to introduce 400-layer vertical NAND by 2026; ➁ The company aims to reach a 1,000-layer NAND target by 2030; ➂ This move is part of the competition in the memory market, especially with HBM becoming a crucial battlefield in the AI era.

➀ Contract prices of DRAM and NAND dropped by over 10% in September; ➁ The decline was due to low demand for PCs and consumer electronics; ➂ DDR4 8Gb 1Gx8 prices fell by 17.07% to US$1.7.

➀ Kioxia showcased its BiCS 8 3D NAND technology at FMS 2024, featuring 218 layers and a new CMOS Bonded Array (CBA) process. ➁ The CBA process allows independent parallel processing of CMOS wafer and cell array wafer, improving reliability and performance. ➂ Despite fewer layers compared to competitors, Kioxia's lateral scaling enables competitive bit density and operating speeds.

1. Micron has started shipping its 9th Generation 276-layer TLC NAND, offering significant improvements in density and performance. 2. The new NAND features a 44% increase in density over the previous generation and supports transfer rates up to 3600 MT/sec. 3. Micron's 2650 client SSD is the first product to utilize this new NAND technology, providing high-speed storage solutions for various applications.

1. Kioxia introduces 1 Tb and 2 Tb 3D QLC NAND devices with a 3600 MT/s interface speed. 2. The new NAND devices feature 238 active layers and CMOS directly Bonded to Array (CBA) design. 3. Kioxia's 2 Tb 3D QLC NAND offers 70% higher write power efficiency and is suitable for AI and large storage applications.

1. Kioxia is sampling 2 terabit NAND chips with a QLC design and BiCS 8 218-layer architecture. 2. The new chip offers higher bit density and power efficiency compared to previous generations. 3. Pure Storage plans to use these chips to enhance their all-flash storage solutions.

SK Hynix is testing the performance of Tokyo Electron’s cryogenic etching equipment, TheElec has learned.The South Korean memory chipmaker has sent test wafers to the fab equipment maker for the tests instead of installing them in its own fab, sources said.Tokyo Electron’s new kit etches at high spe

➀ Kioxia is mass-producing a QLC UFS flash memory; ➁ The 512GB QLC UFS chip offers sequential read speeds up to 4,200 MB/s and write speeds up to 3,200 MB/s; ➂ The chip supports features like HS-LSS, advanced security with RPMB, and extended initiator ID for improved performance.

➀ Samsung's 990 EVO Plus is a significant consumer SSD release, targeting high-performance drives; ➁ The drive offers a 4TB model, making it a competitor to QLC flash drives and E27T-based drives; ➂ Despite its late arrival and high price, the 990 EVO Plus is a strong drive for any system.

➀ TrendForce predicts a further 10%+ drop in NAND contract prices in Q4; ➁ PC client SSD contract prices will decline by 5–10% due to limited AI practical use cases; ➂ Q4 server OEM orders have declined due to delays in AI server deployments; ➃ Smartphone and notebook manufacturers are adopting inventory reduction strategies, with Q4 eMMC and UFS prices expected to drop 8-13%.

➀ Samsung has started mass production of its new V9 QLC V-NAND; ➁ The technology enables larger SSDs with features like channel hole etching for higher layer counts; ➂ Improved data retention performance and reduced power consumption are noted.

➀ Samsung has begun mass production of a 286-layer QLC NAND; ➁ The new NAND is aimed at the server market with a density of 28.5 Gb/mm²; ➂ It offers improved performance compared to the previous generation.

➀ Saniffer releases updated version 11.1 of its PCIe5&6.0, CXL, NVMe/NVMoF, SSD, NAND, DDR5, 800GE test technology and tool whitepaper; ➁ PCIe Gen6 NVMe SSD testing begins, with focus on E3.S or E1.S interfaces; ➂ FMS 2024 participation summary with 3505 attendees, including 12 Chinese companies; ➃ PCIe Gen6 interoperability issues identified and scheduled for further testing in October; ➄ AI infrastructure hardware diagnosis, analysis, and testing added to whitepaper, including AI training and inference architectures; ➅ 800G/1.6T optical module development and testing advancements driven by AI and data center demands; ➆ Nvidia starts certifying 1.6T optical modules in June 2024.

➀ The spot price for consumer memory fell by 30% in Q2, creating a dislocation with contract prices. ➁ Module makers experienced a 40% year-over-year decline in consumer NAND shipments through retail channels, suggesting weak demand. ➂ Next year, DRAM prices are expected to rise gradually each quarter, driven by the increasing adoption of HBM3e.

1. Kioxia is currently sampling 2Tb QLC NAND flash, utilizing both vertical and lateral scaling. 2. The company has employed CBA (CMOS directly Bonded to Array) technology. 3. By stacking 16 2Tbit dies, Kioxia can achieve a 4TB device in a compact package measuring 11.5 x 13.5mm with a height of 1.5mm.

1. TrendForce predicts a 5-10% increase in Q3 NAND ASP. 2. Client SSDs are expected to see a 3-8% price increase due to weak demand and preference for QLC over TLC. 3. Enterprise SSDs are projected to rise by 15-20% as server OEM orders increase. 4. eMMC prices are expected to remain flat, while UFS contract prices may increase by 3-8%.

SK Hynix reportedly says 3D NAND chipmaking goes subzero as higher flash memory stacks must be produced at -70C temps.