Intel, Micron unveil world’s first 128Gb NAND device

According to both companies, the new monolithic device is the first in the industry to enable a Tb of data storage in a fingertip size package by using just eight die. The device has been developed by Intel and Micron's joint venture, IM Flash Technologies and is said to provide twice the storage capacity and performance of the company's existing 20nm 64Gb NAND device. The new 128Gb device achieves speeds of 333MT/s and meets the high speed ONFI 3.0 specification, so is suitable as a solid state storage solution for tablets, smartphones or high capacity SSDs. Glen Hawk, vice president of Micron's NAND Solutions Group, said: "As portable devices get smaller and sleeker, and server demands increase, our customers look to Micron for innovative new storage technologies and system solutions that meet these challenges. Our collaboration with Intel continues to deliver leading NAND technologies and expertise that are critical to building those systems." Both companies believe that the key to the success in 20nm process technology is due to a new cell structure that enables more aggressive cell scaling than conventional architectures. The 20nm NAND uses a planar cell structure – said to be the first in the industry – to overcome difficulties associated with advanced process technology. According to Rob Crooke, Intel vice president and general manager of Intel's Non-Volatile Memory Solutions Group, this planar cell structure breaks the scaling constraints of the standard NAND floating gate cell by integrating the first Hi-K/metal gate stack on NAND production. "It is gratifying to see the continued NAND leadership from the Intel-Micron joint development with yet more firsts as our manufacturing teams deliver these high density, low cost, compute quality 20nm NAND devices," Crooke said. "Through the utilisation of planar cell structure and Hi-K/Metal gate stack, IMFT continues to advance the technological capabilities of our NAND flash memory solutions to enable exciting new products, services and form factors." According to Intel and Micron, December production ramp of the 20nm 64Gb NAND flash product will enable a rapid transition to the 128Gb device in 2012. Samples of the 128Gb device will be available in January, closely followed by mass production in the first half of 2012.