Micron Technology (www.micron.com) and Intel (www.intel.com) have announced the availability of their 3D NAND technology, the world's highest-density flash memory.
 
This new 3D NAND technology, which was jointly developed by the two companies, stacks layers of data storage cells vertically with "extraordinary precision" to create storage devices with three times higher capacity than competing NAND technologies. This enables more storage in a smaller space, bringing significant cost savings, low power usage and high performance to a range of mobile consumer devices as well as the most demanding enterprise deployments, says Brian Shirley, vice president of Memory Technology and Solutions at Micron Technology.
 
Planar NAND flash memory is nearing its practical scaling limits, posing significant challenges for the memory industry. 3D NAND technology is poised to make a dramatic impact by keeping flash storage solutions aligned with Moore's Law, the trajectory for continued performance gains and cost savings, driving more widespread use of flash storage, says Rob Crooke, senior vice president and general manager, Non-Volatile Memory Solutions Group, Intel.
 
The 256GB MLC version of 3D NAND is sampling with select partners today, and the 384Gb TLC design will be sampling later this spring. The fab production line has already begun initial runs, and both devices will be in full production by the fourth quarter of this year. Both companies are also developing individual lines of SSD solutions based on 3D NAND technology and expect those products to be available within the next year.