Samsung first with 20-nm NAND Flash: cheaper, faster SD cards on the way (update)

Let it sink in, 20 nanometers. It wasn't that long ago when 45-nm manufacturing processes were all the rage. Now we've got Samsung following Toshiba with a sub-25nm flash memory announcement all its own. Samsung's 20-nm class 32Gb (gigabit) MLC NAND is sampling now, however, for use in embedded memory solutions and SD memory cards ranging from 4GB to 64GB. In addition to increasing densities and decreasing manufacturing costs, Samsung's 20-nm class NAND is claimed to be more reliable and 30 percent faster than the 30-nm MLC chips forming the core of its existing 8GB and higher SD cards. That translates to cheaper class 10 (20MBps read, 10MBps write) SD cards when these ship to consumers later this year -- always a good thing.

Update: There's a chance that Samsung is playing fast and loose with words here. It repeatedly says "20-nm class" without specifying the actual node size. Is it 20nm, 22nm, 27nm? We're digging for details and will update this post when we have them.

Update 2: Samsung's response: "Unfortunately, we are not disclosing the actual process node for our memory devices. Thank you in advance for your understanding." Yeah, we understand: Samsung's process node is likely larger than the 25nm threshold set by Intel and Micron.

[akbc Posted Apr 19th 2010 3:43AM]

Those are some beautiful looking cards... dang.

[Miakandogadget Posted Apr 19th 2010 4:01AM]

Well, I'll be damned. Shit on a stick couldn't look any prettier.

[Neosubu Posted Apr 19th 2010 4:31AM]

@akbc
My thoughts exactly !

[n0ne Posted Apr 19th 2010 5:34AM]

@akbc, also the 1st thing that came to mind. WANT!!

[darkmax Posted Apr 19th 2010 8:01AM]

@akbc

Samsung and Toshiba have their own highly funded research facilities. What I think the article got wrong was that Samsung was the first to announced the 20nm. In fact it was here at Engadget that I saw the news... or was I mistaken again?

[mianmian Posted Apr 19th 2010 3:44AM]

Guess we will see 20-nm CPU soon.

[guideXD Posted Apr 19th 2010 3:49AM]

@mianmian
Not soon, 32nm should last well into next year and then Intel will probably release a 25nm hexa-core $2000 device or something.
20nm is not specifically on the road maps but sub 25nm will be around 2H 2012 at the earliest, i think Intel is really going to lift its game when AMD releases Bulldozer.

I had no idea Samsung or Toshiba were this far, i thought they were having trouble with 45 (or was it 32) late last year?

[Ahmed Alzayani Posted Apr 19th 2010 5:09AM]

@mianmian

Will , Intel want to milk 32nm first. I am sure thy can release 20nm CPU this year if they want. it wouldn't be easy but it's possible.

[petebob796 Posted Apr 19th 2010 5:58AM]

@mianmian Although related flash memory is easier to shrink than processors hence processors usually being a step behind.

[joquarky Posted Apr 19th 2010 2:05PM]

@Ahmed Alzayani

"Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge." ~Darwin

[Reikon Posted Apr 19th 2010 4:04AM]

This is 20 nm CLASS flash, which means 20-something nm. In reality, it's probably 28 nm.

Samsung was still working on making 22 nm as of last month.
http://www.eetasia.com/ART_8800600352_480200_NT_c79d3fee.HTM

[Ahmed Alzayani Posted Apr 19th 2010 5:23AM]

@Reikon

Yes , you are right , it's (20to29)nm technology not 20nm , most likely 25nm tech like Intel SSD announced 2 month ago http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/03/intel-swings-25nm-factory-doors-open-for-a-tour-de-fab/.


This article is misleading. plz fix it engadget.

[JS Posted Apr 19th 2010 4:18AM]

If this really is a 20 nm chip, that means they can fit four 45 nm ARM chips on it (4 not 2, because all four sides are halved). Think about it .. maybe two cpus and two graphics cores on the CPU. PS3 level graphics on a phone!

[Oli D Posted Apr 19th 2010 4:22AM]

@JS Let me know when Samsung starts making CPUs and Graphics cores plz.

[JS Posted Apr 19th 2010 4:51AM]

@Oli D

Umm who made the CPU in the original iPhone? Samsung.

Samsung makes CPUs and graphics chips. You didnt know that? Couldnt you have googled that?

In fact they make one of the fastest CPU/GPU .. Samsung Hummingbird .. google that.

[juanvaldez Posted Apr 19th 2010 6:47AM]

@JS it'll be in what's likely my next phone, Galaxy S (I don't expect the Evo to come to Korea), über-excited. Don't let me down guys.

[juanvaldez Posted Apr 19th 2010 6:48AM]

@juanvaldez (hummingbird)

[Oli D Posted Apr 19th 2010 7:34AM]

@JS I have to admit that was a fail on my part, but making NAND is not the same as making CPUs. Just because they have the processes in place for high density Flash doesn't mean that they could apply that to CPu manufacture.

[Stick Posted Apr 19th 2010 4:42AM]

Flash memory prices have been steady (for the consumer, anyway) for about a year now...I wouldn't mind them dropping, like they used to in the days of old...or am I alone in that assessment?

[Broderbund Posted Apr 19th 2010 4:50AM]

@Stick Yeah I was surprised that a 16gb card for my psp was the same price as when I checked 4-5 months ago.

I bought a 4gb card for it a few years ago for 100$ :o

Was a good deal then but I wouldn't mind storing more gaems on it!

[petebob796 Posted Apr 19th 2010 6:04AM]

@Stick The demand is still high due to smartphones such as the iPhone using a lot, prices will start to drop again when there is free capacity.

[kjmathew Posted Apr 19th 2010 5:15AM]

Obviously headed for the [sic] 80GB iPhone HD!
"Samsung's timely introduction of its high-performance premium NAND will better support the growing memory requirements of high-density smartphones, "

[Wesscoast Posted Apr 19th 2010 6:41AM]

@kjmathew

Not really news, since Apple bought up a big chunk of the worlds supply of flash memory a while ago

http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2009/02/19/report-apple-has-cornered-the-flash-memory-market/

[JoshuaChung Posted Apr 19th 2010 6:21AM]

Lower manufacturers' cost has no relationship about end user acquisition cost: Consumer would not mind paying more for faster and more reliable products.

I suppose this is Marketing 101.

[LiveFromThe215 Posted Apr 19th 2010 6:52AM]

Blahblahblahblah... sooo where's the 32GB MicroSDHC cards?

[timotim Posted Apr 19th 2010 7:36AM]

Am I reading this right... are they talking about a 64GB SD card?

[oringal Posted Apr 19th 2010 8:01AM]

@timotim
they have those already i think... next up is a 128 gb sd card

[pastrychef Posted Apr 19th 2010 8:08AM]

The problem lies in the card readers/writers. They are all USB based and will bottleneck these things. Hopefully, USB3 will change that.

[Billy Gun Posted Apr 19th 2010 8:18AM]

Will this help pen drives as well? USB 3.0? will I still have to wait to 2020 to a afordable TB pendrive?

[davepermen Posted Apr 19th 2010 10:47AM]

@Billy Gun ... that you lose them just once you moved important data on it :)

[John Doe Posted Apr 19th 2010 8:56AM]

Mmmmm just in time for the HP slate or any of a number of Android tablets to to come out, yumm. iFads need not apply due to hardware.......shortcomings.

[dardub Posted Apr 20th 2010 1:09AM]

stronger, faster

[lyian Posted Apr 21st 2010 11:48AM]

"Yeah, we understand: Samsung's process node is likely larger than the 25nm threshold set by Intel and Micron"

Yep. not disclosing it because they dont want people to know its Large '20mn class' memory.