Samsung to start producing 9th-generation V-NAND flash memory next year

Last year, Samsung began mass-producing products utilizing their 8th-generation V-NAND technology. This technology boasts a 1Tb (128GB) TLC 3D NAND flash memory chip with 236 layers, a significant leap from the 176 layers of the 7th generation V-NAND introduced in 2020 with its dual-stack architecture. According to reports from DigiTimes, Samsung plans to initiate the production of their 9th-generation V-NAND technology products next year, surpassing 300 layers while maintaining the dual-stack design.

The dual-stack architecture involves creating one 3D NAND flash memory stack on a 300mm wafer, then constructing another stack atop the existing one. The over-300-layer 9th generation V-NAND will enhance the storage density of the 300mm wafer production, enabling manufacturers to produce solid-state drives at reduced costs or offer solid-state drives of the same storage density and performance at more affordable prices.

Earlier, competitor SK Hynix unveiled the world’s first 321-layer NAND flash memory at the Flash Memory Summit 2023 held in Santa Clara, setting them ahead as the first company to develop a NAND flash memory with over 300 layers. SK Hynix disclosed its intentions to start producing this NAND flash memory in the first half of 2025 using a tri-layer stacking method. This process involves the formation of three distinct sets of 3D NAND layers, which while increasing operational steps and raw material usage, aims to maximize yield, making it comparatively easier to manufacture 3D NAND stacks.

It is understood that Samsung, in a bid to ensure yield, may employ a tri-stack design for their 10th-generation V-NAND technology, which is projected to reach 430 layers. This implies a surge in raw material consumption, subsequently driving up the cost of each 3D NAND wafer. Samsung’s long-term vision, as presented during “Samsung Tech Day 2022″, is to elevate the number of layers to 1,000 by the year 2030.