The new memory is also faster than its predecessor
Micron Technology has announced the launch of the world’s first 176-layer 3D NAND flash memory. According to the manufacturer, the use of advanced architecture allowed for a “radical breakthrough”, significantly increasing not only storage density, but also performance. The new memory will find applications in data center storage, smart peripherals and mobile devices.
Micron begins shipping the world’s first 176-layer 3D NAND flash
The novelty represents the fifth generation of 3D NAND and the second generation of the RG (replacement-gate) architecture, being the most technologically advanced among the developments available on the market. Compared to Micron’s previous generation of 3D NAND, read and write latency has been reduced by over 35%. Another advantage is the compact design – the 176-layer memory die is approximately 30% smaller than the best-in-class offering from competitors, so the new memory is ideal for applications where small form factor is important.
The fifth generation 3D NAND Micron also boasts an industry-leading data transfer rate of 1600MT / s on the Open NAND Flash Interface (ONFI) bus, 33% more than the 1200 MT / s achieved by the 96-layer and 128-layer 3D NAND Micron memory of previous generations.
Micron is working with industry representatives to accelerate the adoption of the new memory. It is already being used in Crucial consumer SSDs.