Kioxia showcases CXL memory expansion module

At the recent Flash Memory Summit 2023 held in Santa Clara, USA, Kioxia, one of the world’s leading NAND flash manufacturers, introduced its solutions based on Compute Express Link (CXL) and second-generation XL-Flash or BiCS 3D NAND.

CXL technology permits the construction of various devices to handle immense workloads, ranging from augmenting the capacity and performance of memory subsystems to furnishing ultra-rapid persistent storage. According to ServeTheHome, Kioxia has offered two kinds of CXL products: one rooted in CXL+XL-Flash memory, designed for performance and reliability-centric applications such as databases and artificial intelligence inference; the other anchored in CXL+BiCS FLASH, intended for big data and artificial intelligence training. Both storage devices employ specialized controllers, optimized for their respective tasks.

Last year, Kioxia launched its second-generation XL-FLASH storage-class memory solution, a storage-class memory (SCM) solution based on its BiCS FLASH 3D flash technology. Unlike the first generation, which utilized SLC NAND, the second generation has adopted MLC NAND, delivering enhanced read-write performance and reduced latency, ensuring superior performance compared to mainstream 3D TLC NAND while effectively lowering costs. Kioxia asserts that when CXL is combined with second-generation XL-FLASH, not only is higher capacity achieved, but it is also more cost-effective.

On this occasion, Kioxia exhibited samples of a 1.3TB CXL 1.1/CXL 2.0 BiCS 3D NAND device, with form factors of E1.S and E3.S specifications, utilizing a PCIe 5.0 x4 interface. Kioxia refrained from revealing specific performance parameters, possibly due to ongoing development. While using a CXL protocol-based PCIe interface coupled with low-latency 3D TLC NAND seems a sensible approach, its performance is not on par with products incorporating second-generation XL-FLASH.

Regarding the release plans for its CXL memory expansion modules, Kioxia has remained tight-lipped. From what has been displayed, products based on CXL+BiCS FLASH are likely to hit the market earlier.