Date: 02/12/2009

Samsung's new 30nm-class 32Gb MLC NAND flash memory chips

Samsung has announced the release of its 30-nanometer (nm)-class, 3-bit multi-level-cell (MLC) NAND flash chips for flash storage devices such as USB flash drives, and micro SD cards.

Samsung says, three-bit MLC NAND increases the efficiency of NAND data storage by 50 percent over today's pervasive 2-bit MLC NAND chips.

"Introducing cost-efficient, 30nm-class 3-bit technology widens our NAND memory solution base to make NAND even more enticing for increasingly diverse market applications," said Soo-In Cho, executive vice president and general manager of the Memory Division at Samsung Electronics. "Our 3-bit NAND memory will support the development of more cost-competitive, high-density consumer electronics storage solutions," he added.

Samsung says, that its mass production of 30nm 3-bit NAND is expected to raise the portion of NAND flash memory production devoted to high densities (32Gb and above), designed to accommodate increased video usage.

Samsung has also announced the release of its 30-nanometer (nm) class, 32 gigabit (Gb), multi-level-cell (MLC) NAND memory with an asynchronous DDR (double data rate) interface.

DDR NAND will raise the read performance of mobile devices requiring high-speeds and large amounts of storage space. Samsung's new DDR MLC NAND chip, which reads at 133 megabits per second (Mbps), would replace single data rate (SDR) MLC NAND that has an overall read performance of 40Mbps.

Samsung's new asynchronous DDR MLC NAND can be used in SSDs for PCs, premium SD memory cards for smartphones, and in Samsung's moviNAND memory. The asynchronous DDR MLC NAND is suitable for personal media players (PMPs), MP3 players and car navigation systems (CNS) applications.

Samsung says, the use of 30nm-class DDR NAND enables premium memory cards to register 60Mbps read speeds, at least a 300 percent performance gain compared to SDR NAND-based memory cards with an average 17Mbps read speed.

"With the new DDR MLC NAND, double data rate transmission can be achieved without increasing power consumption, giving designers a lot more latitude in introducing diverse CE devices," said Soo-In Cho, executive vice president and general manager of the Memory Division at Samsung Electronics.

He added, "Samsung's accelerated push toward providing memory solutions at much higher speeds will enable faster introduction of high-performance mobile devices that deliver added convenience and greater value to consumers."

Availability:
Three-bit MLC NAND: At the end of November
Production of the 30nm-class DDR MLC NAND comes just eight months after the company announced availability of its 30nm-class 32Gb MLC NAND.

For more details visit www.samsung.com