SK Hynix showcased the world’s first 321-layer NAND flash memory sample

SK Hynix has announced that at the Flash Memory Summit 2023 to be held in Santa Clara, USA, it will unveil the world’s first 321-layer NAND flash memory, thus becoming the industry’s premier company to develop NAND flash with more than 300 layers. Additionally, SK Hynix will introduce a new generation of NAND flash solutions related to PCIe 5.0 and UFS 4.0.

What SK Hynix is bringing to the summit is a 321-layer 1Tb TLC 4D NAND flash memory, showcasing for the first time the samples currently under development and providing an update on its progress. SK Hynix has expressed its intention to further refine this 321-layer NAND flash memory, with preliminary plans to enter mass production in the first half of 2025. According to SK Hynix, the efficiency of the 321-layer 1Tb TLC NAND flash is 59% higher than that of the previous generation 238-layer 512Gb. This enhancement is attributed to the ability to stack a greater number of single units to greater heights on the same chip, thereby achieving larger storage capacity and consequently increasing the number of chips produced per wafer.

With the recent growth in demand for generative AI markets, spurred by advancements such as Chat GPT, the need for high-performance, high-capacity storage devices capable of storing more data has seen a sharp increase. SK Hynix has also taken this opportunity to introduce its next-generation NAND product solutions, optimized to meet these requirements: enterprise solid-state drives (eSSD) with PCIe 5.0 interfaces and UFS 4.0. SK Hynix aims to fulfill the demands of customers seeking high performance with these products, which are poised to achieve world-class leading performance.

Furthermore, SK Hynix revealed that it is actively developing next-generation PCIe 6.0 and UFS 5.0 products, demonstrating its commitment to continuing to lead the market in the future.