SanDisk unveils a 16-gigabit, 3 bits per cell flash chips, plans to move 43nm NAND into production

Usually with SanDisk flash announcements we just list a new higher capacity and post a shot of a memory card with the new number on it, but this time around the announcements are little deeper: two new memory technologies. The first, which will go into production in March, is a 16-gigbit flash chip that contains three bits per cell, based on Toshiba's "3D" flash tech we heard about over the summer. The chip offers 8MB/sec write performance, but is much smaller than conventional MLC chips. Speaking of MLC, SanDisk also announced that it's moving forward on 43nm MLC fabrication, which will allow it to ship 32 gigabit flash chips in the latter half of the year. Either way, it looks like we're going to have a lot of memory cards with bigger numbers on them to post up soon, eh?

Read - 16-gigabit 3D chip
Read - 43nm NAND

[Spike @ Feb 6th 2008 1:39PM]

This wont change anything with SSD's, MLC flash sucks for that, but you'll probably see some manufacturers use MLC flash for an SLC application, *cough* Transcend SSD's *cough*. Good for cheaper memory cards and higher capacity flash portables, but thats it.

[Spike @ Feb 6th 2008 1:40PM]

This wont change anything with SSD's, MLC flash sucks for that, but you'll probably see some manufacturers use MLC flash for an SLC application, *cough* Transcend SSD's *cough*. Good for cheaper memory cards and higher capacity flash portables, but thats it.

[Spike @ Feb 6th 2008 1:41PM]

Ignore that, Engadget decided to give me a blank page on reply and not show my post on a subsequent page load.

[bob @ Feb 6th 2008 2:03PM]

I for one will do no such thing. You have offended me deeply.

[ScooterDe @ Feb 6th 2008 8:20PM]

yeah, spike that post. Just wanted to be first twice, didn't you?!

[mattclarkie @ Feb 6th 2008 1:56PM]

I don't understand all these technologies for flash. I know NAND uses not & logic gates, which makes it more efficient that an & gate, but all this MLC, SLC, KFC stuff just washes over my head.

[jonouk @ Feb 6th 2008 2:14PM]

NAND cells are more efficient of transistor usage than NOR as it shares more common areas.
SLC = Single layer chip
MLC = multi layer chip

[B.J. @ Feb 6th 2008 2:45PM]

SLC is a single-level cell. The cell can be either a logic 1 or 0, so you can store at most one bit per cell.

MLC is multi-level cell. It means that you can store multiple bits per cell, for 2-bits per cell applications, it's one of 4 possible logic levels (00, 01, 10, 11)

MLC is obviously higher density, but slower to program

[Jake @ Feb 6th 2008 4:01PM]

KFC, it's just good chicken!

[sinjinn @ Feb 6th 2008 6:21PM]

yeah kfc is good chicken , but sometimes they give you a rancid old piece of chicken filley in your burger and you swear of kfc for life , then one day you really want some fried chicken and you go back thinking you will get an old rancid piece of chicjen fillet , but you dont mind , only you get a really fresh one and its delicious and your faith in kfc is restored , till one day...

[manny @ Feb 6th 2008 1:56PM]

Slight correction to this article. This isnt based on the 3D architecture, this is X3 technology or 3 bits per cell. 3D is from Sandisks acquisition of Matrix and is not currently in production.

[manny @ Feb 6th 2008 1:58PM]

Edit above, 3D is in procution, but without rewrite capabilities...

[infiniteadmin @ Feb 6th 2008 1:58PM]

Slow.
http://infiniteadmin.com/index.php/slc-versus-mlc-nand-devices/

[Ethan @ Feb 6th 2008 2:04PM]

Snore.

This is way more important for SSDs than for memory cards though, right?

[infiniteadmin @ Feb 6th 2008 2:27PM]

Ethan, I'd say this is more beneficial to ssds because of the higher-density nature that is mlc. But Toshiba and Samsung have already produced 16Gbit mlc nand but the advance here is the 45nm process node being used which places them a half-generation or so ahead of other vendor's previous releases.

[infiniteadmin @ Feb 6th 2008 2:32PM]

Actually Sandisk's press release says that it will the be 56nm process.

[infiniteadmin @ Feb 6th 2008 2:40PM]

Ok I see the other press release and I meant 43nm above. So they'll be shipping both perhaps? And to clarify, this initially will benefit markets other than ssds but the advances will eventually have a greater impact on the ssd segment.

[manny @ Feb 6th 2008 2:42PM]

While they are converting to 43nm, the 56nm will be using X3 technology since the greater cost reductions comes from 43nm as opposed 56nm+X3.

[Joey @ Feb 6th 2008 6:25PM]

does this mean we'll see a 64gb ipod touch for $600 and a 32gb iphone for $600??

still don't understand the mentality behind that

[david @ Feb 6th 2008 6:38PM]

I am just curious, but i was under the assumption that with memory we used bytes.
I know that with bits the numbers we see are 8 times bigger and looks good.
Otherwise, am i missing something with this particular tech ?

[david @ Feb 6th 2008 6:41PM]

and whats a gigbit ?? (and i don t mean gigabit).
It s written twice in the article, so please forgive or rectify my ignorance.

[NewJohnny @ Feb 6th 2008 7:23PM]

How do they intend on taking SD cards beyond the 32GB limit? A new format? (SDHC+ 2.0b Ultra Zoom!)

[ych @ Feb 7th 2008 12:29AM]

MLC is good for about 10,000 writes while SLC can last 100,000 writes. But, no worry. The USB connector has a very short life cycle which is just 1,500 times of usage. It is fair to say that, howeve, MLC SSD is not good for heavy duty. If you use MLC SSD for running operating system, you will lose important data soon.

[ssdforums @ Feb 7th 2008 11:55AM]

So they're up to 3 bits per cell? That's going to be a dramatic increase in storage capacity! I just hope they can get their firmware to keep up with all the ECC and wear leveling needed. I don't know that the 2 bit, MLC is that stable yet.