Kioxia, SanDisk show off the tiny chip which could go in world's first 1 PB SSD

Date:
Fri, 14 Aug 2026 20:25:00 +0000

Description:
SanDisk and Koxia have unveiled next-generation QLC 3D flash memory technology, said to increase bit density over the previous generation by 60%

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Quad-Level-Cell (QLC) 3D flash memory sets the industry benchmark for performance, bit density, and power efficiency It is the first QLC 3D flash to reach a 4.8 GB/s interface, ensuring super-fast data transfer between storage and processor This is the breakthrough that could deliver 1 PB (petabyte) storage to data centers SanDisk has unveiled the chip that could revolutionize data centers and push cloud storage and AI to the next level with its QLC 3D flash memory technology, developed with Kioxia. Employing the companies CMOS directly Bonded to Array (CBA) technology, the 10th generation Quad-Level-Cell 3D
flash memory has set a new industry standard, representing the baseline for competing memory manufacturers.

The chip has a 60% increase in bit density compared to the 8th generation 3D flash memory, also setting the benchmark for performance and power
efficiency. With a 37 Gb/mm (gigabits per square millimeter) density, the QLC 3D flash can be used to assemble the first 1 petabyte (thats 1,000 terabytes) solid-state drives for data center servers. Latest Videos From TechRadar
Watch full video here: Wafer bonding The CMOS directly Bonded to Array technology, in which CMOS wafers are bonded with cell array wafers after separate manufacturing, is at the heart of the QLC 3D flash memory development. Using high-precision wafer-to-wafer alignment, the new chips are the first to hit a 4.8 Gb/s interface (under test conditions) using the QLD
3D technology.

The die capacity and packaging density for a potential 1 PB SSD based on the QLC 3D flash memory are not practical (both in cost and space) for home systems but can be adapted for ultra-dense 1U and 2U rack servers in modern purpose-built data centers. You may like SanDisk has started sampling the
tiny chip that will make 512TB SSDs possible in 2027 Kioxia reveals its most powerful SSD yet SK Hynix and SanDisk reveal first specs for High Bandwidth Flash

The size of the chips makes other uses impractical and requires advanced 3D packaging in 64- or 128- die stacks to hit the 1 PB SSD target, using the ruler-like, 318 mm long EDSFF E1.L and E3.L form factor PCBs, as well as the recently defined E2 form factor (measuring 200 mm x 76 mm). This was specifically designed to handle 1 PB drives. Next-generation infrastructure The march towards implementing AI across the connected world requires increasingly sophisticated storage so that agent-based, physical AI, and generative AI can be efficiently delivered. A chip that is dense enough to deliver a 1 PB SSD is key to this next step. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me
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By redefining the performance and efficiency envelope of QLC NAND, our 10th-generation QLC 3D flash memory delivers simultaneous gains in density, bandwidth, and energy efficiency and establishes a new paradigm for highcapacity flash storage to provide a scalable foundation for
nextgeneration infrastructure applications," noted Sandisks Chief Technology Officer Alper Ilkbahar.

Kioxias CTO Hideshi Miyajima adds, QLC technology enables the efficient storage of rapidly expanding data volumes, helping deliver greater
performance and scalability for AI systems.

For AI data centers and cloud providers, this is a long-awaited development, and places Sandisk and Kioxia ahead of the main competitor in this area, Samsung , which is approaching the challenge using more layers (1,000+ in ultra-tall stacks, compared with Sandisk/Kioxias 332-layers). Additionally, this announcement suggests that a 1 PB Sandisk/Kioxia SSD could ship in 2027, ahead of any forthcoming 1 PB Samsung SSD. Follow TechRadar on Google News
and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/kioxia-sandisk-show-off-the-tiny-chip-which-coul d-go-in-worlds-first-1-pb-ssd


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