Toshiba preps for sub-25nm flash memory production, archivists rejoice
By Darren Murph 
posted April 5th 2010 3:41AM
posted April 5th 2010 3:41AM
Ever wondered how that 16GB microSDHC card that you were swooning over now looks paltry beside a 32GB version of the same thing? It's all about the densities within, and with process technologies shrinking by the month, it's not hard to envision 128GB, 256GB and 1TB cards that are smaller than your thumbnail here in just a few years. It's bruited that Toshiba is fixing to drop a whopping $160 million during 2010 in order to construct a test production line for next generation flash memory chips, presumably with circuitry widths of under 25nm. As of now, Tosh produces NAND flash memory chips with widths of 32nm and 43nm, but cutting that down to 20nm or so would enable loads more memory to be shoved into the same form factors that we use today. If all goes to plan, those sub-25nm chips could hit the line as early as 2012, so we fully expect 10TB SDXC cards to go up for pre-order next month.
that's insane to think about... technology is so rapidly moving forward
@jjasper123
You know he was being kinda hyperbolic, right? We won't actually have 10TB cards within the next month. :P
But yeah, things are getting exciting!
@Gad Get To be honest, I wouldn't even say exciting. SSDs were supposed to be exciting and look where we're at with them. Most of us are not going to be able to switch from HDD for another 3 years at least. They don't even mention write speeds here. No point in having 1TB if you have to write at 30MB/s.
I save excitement up for when someone says 'look cool stuff you can actually buy' and then I can say 'yeah but it's too expensive'.
@jjasper123
Whew! Just in the nick of time too. I'm running out of space on my phone!
@Gad Get
yea I did realize he was exaggerating there, but I was referring to the real stuff still being insane. :)
I hope it translates into devices with more storage; possibly an iPad in the future that is refreshed and maxed out :)
I know I'd like to get a 32GB SDCard but right now it is on the expensive side; hopefully the shrinkage will reduce the cost of purchasing a 32GB card.
@kawaiigardiner
Do you live near a Micro Center? I think they're mostly in Illinois but they're in other states too. The two I've been to always have flash drives, SD, and Compact Flash cards with their name on it near the checkout. Prices are very good, and the products are good as well. All the SD cards are class 6.
http://microcenter.com/search/search_results.phtml?subcategory=HD3E&sortby=match&category=HD3&web_group=digital_card_memory&
I still can't get over Micro SD cards. They're smaller than a fingernail yet they can hold all of my reports and projects for the past ten years with plenty of room to spare. I just hope they don't get any smaller.
Archivists still prefer magnetic tape.
I want SD cards a quarter the size of microSD. MicroSD is a chubbster.
@viper24 - I can already see the user guide: "Please hold your breath after taking the NanoSD out of its packaging. Otherwise severe lung damage may occur and your NanoSD might be lost."
10 TB in a microSD .. come on that means you need a 2 nm process if you hope to get that extending current tech. Unless u go 3D or something then I guess u can with bigger device sizes. 10 TB is going to involve radical innovations.
Am I the only one that will admit to flinching with the use of 'bruit'?
@domhnall
Maybe someone just got a new thesaurus :). I thought it was a typo at first and had to look it up hah.
first time I've seen someone actually use "bruited"
this site just gives and gives.
makes you pity the foo who messed with his brain just to get 80GB capacity....
:-(
I want to download the whole internet and keep it on a microSD.
Is that so much to ask?
@Oli D yes..
These sizes are mind numbingly small.
I mean... it is seriously swimming-pool-full-of-marbles time to begin to contemplate this stuff.
This stuff is on a scale which just 10 to 15 years ago many thought would be impossible to actually manufacture.
It is amazing.
The first time I see a chip commonly referred to in pico-meters.... I think I might mess my pants.
I hope to see it in another 15 years or so...
The future is gonna be AWESOME!
@crassapple if by future you mean measured in Yottabytes, than yes.
So much for a long lasted future in Blu-ray archiving.
Archivists would be smart no to rejoice over this.
25nm and smaller has VERY poor data retention times. If you unpower it (say remove the SD card from your device) and leave it for 18 months, you will lose data.
Sadly 10TiB isn't doable -.-
The hard limit for SDXC is 2TiB
(4GiB*512 as the allocation scheme moved from bytes to 512 byte blocks with the move to SDHC and SDXC)
Assuming people make the same stupid signed vs unsigned errors in their drivers, the safe limit will be 1TiB, still, more than enough I think!
I care more about 25nm mobile cpus... but this is good to...