NAND flash memory seems to be invading nearly every electronic devices that we use today. Everything from cameras to smartphones to notebook computers to digital media players make use of the storage technology.
So it should come as no surprise that companies are always looking to new process technologies to not only lower the cost of production for NAND flash memory, but also to improve performance and storage densities.
Samsung has made an announcement today that should be sweet music to photographers and smartphone users around the globe. The Seoul, Korea-based company has announced the production of 20nm MLC NAND flash memory for use in Secure Digital (SD) cards and smartphone storage. The new 20nm NAND will usher in the mainstream use of 32Gb MLC NAND and will result in storage devices ranging from 4GB to 64GB.
"In just one year after initiating 30nm-class NAND production, Samsung has made available the next generation node 20nm-class NAND, which exceeds most customers requirements for high-performance, high-density NAND-based solutions," said Soo-In Cho, president, Memory Division, Samsung Electronics. "The new 20nm-class NAND is not only a significant step forward in process design, but we have incorporated advanced technologies into it to enable substantial performance innovation."
According to Samsung, SD cards based on new 20nm technology will be 30 percent faster than the company's existing 30nm-class products. In addition, the new 20nm-class devices will be capable of 20MB/sec read speeds and 10MB/sec write speeds (Class 10 speed rating).
Samsung hopes to have full production-spec modules running off the assembly line later this year.
Samsung made headlines late last week over concerns that some of its plants have been linked to cases of leukemia in workers.
Source: DailyTech
