SanDisk and Toshiba join efforts to build "3D" flash

We first heard about Toshiba's plan to increase NAND flash capacities by building "3D" memory chips with "pillars" of stacked cells in January of 2007, but it looks like the effort is getting revived -- Tosh and SanDisk have entered into an agreement to jointly develop and cross-license 3D memory tech. SanDisk was once rumored to be developing write-once 3D flash chips, so both companies have experience building the stuff, but it sounds like it'll take another three or four years for the partnership to produce actual products, as high-yield production is still difficult.

[Conor Maher @ Jun 18th 2008 4:33PM]

Gotta love technology, But their marketing team will struggle to beat the "Get Perpendicular" campaign of the HDD side :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xPvD0Z9kz8

[Aguiluz @ Jun 18th 2008 4:36PM]

That's one of Gizmodo's Videos! >:-o

[kal326 @ Jun 18th 2008 6:10PM]

@Conor Maher
Hows this?

I like my flash memory like I like my women, STACKED!

[Jhongerkong @ Jun 18th 2008 4:49PM]

Wear those crappy 3D glasses and you get an extra 3GBs of space!

[brando_commando @ Jun 18th 2008 4:58PM]

Do you have to wear 3D glasses for them to work?

[Yamikotai @ Jun 18th 2008 5:31PM]

I sincerely hope you're kidding, Bravo O_o

[Yamikotai @ Jun 18th 2008 5:35PM]

Brando, even. Damn keyboard.

[joe_bruin @ Jun 18th 2008 4:58PM]

SanDisk and Toshiba are essentially the same company when it comes to flash memory*. SanDisk does the R&D and Toshiba does the fabrication. They build factories together. The only surprise would be if they were not working together.

*Yes, they are actually separate companies managed individually.

[Low Ranked @ Jun 18th 2008 5:25PM]

Then, instead of the whole HD-DVD fiasco, SanDisk should have opted for movies on SD cards and Toshiba could have made the card reader a box the size of a DVD player with maybe 10 front-loaded slots to stick the cards in and the top could lift up to store your other movies that you aren't watching in possibly a vertical index-card type filing system.

The system would let you select between the movies you have inserted in the slots. This would give those 'I like my movies in physical format' people the ability to bring them with you or to a friends place.

You could stick in empty cards and download a movie to it directly.

I might be on to something here. Someone should patent this before I do.

[AMFS @ Jun 18th 2008 5:44PM]

Aren't those little cards more expensive to make than blank discs?

[blizz419 @ Jun 19th 2008 6:57AM]

yes they are much more expensive, but in time prices will come down, so its still not a bad idea just not really affordable yet but in time will be.

[cris @ Jun 18th 2008 5:15PM]

oie oie sou do Brasil, adorei a notiicia

[Doug_Parks @ Jun 18th 2008 5:19PM]

sounds hot

[martin @ Jun 18th 2008 5:25PM]

write once? well thats useful im sure.. unless they give me films on memory sticks they are just insane. also im kinda sure the whole world is 3d already

[Low Ranked @ Jun 18th 2008 5:56PM]

Dude, I hate to break it to you, but you have seriously underestimated the world.

By like, an extra whole dimension.

[Reader @ Jun 18th 2008 10:58PM]

Hell 7 or more dimensions depending on what theories you subscribe to.

[Yamikotai @ Jun 18th 2008 5:37PM]

Would there be any way to change the flash chips from write-once to rewriteable? I'm noit too knowledgable on the situation.

[keithgregoire @ Jun 18th 2008 9:21PM]

Low_Ranked:
"Then, instead of the whole HD-DVD fiasco, SanDisk should have opted for movies on SD cards and Toshiba could have made the card reader a box the size of a DVD player..."
"I might be on to something here. Someone should patent this before I do."

That *is* Toshiba's plan and they *have* patented this. Why do you think that they are not in on the whole Blu-Ray fiasco?

[blizz419 @ Jun 19th 2008 7:02AM]

and they'll still come in boxes the size of a DVD case with a lil snap in clip in the middle for the SD card lol.

[wud_e @ Jun 19th 2008 9:36AM]

I had a feeeling. Yesterday when they posted that Toshiba was trying to come up with a way to upgrade standard DVD's to higher resolutions through a player the first thing I thought was Toshiba should stop. For some reason I was thinking they shoudl work with Sandisk to create a medium that would store High res Movies at a cheaper price. I hope they do this.