SK Hynix To Release 8th Generation 300-Layer 3D NAND Chips In Next Two Years

SK hynix To Invest $1 Billion Into Expanding Semiconductor Packaging Facilities In South Korea 1

In February, during the 70th IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC), SK Hynix surprised attendees with details of the new eight-generation 3D NAND chips that incorporate over three hundred active layers. The paper presented at the conference from SK Hynix, titled "High-Density Memories and High-Speed Interface," describes how the company will increase the performance of solid-state drives while lowering costs on individual terabytes. The new 3D NAND will debut in the marketplace within two years and is expected to break records.

The new eighth-generation 3D NAND memory will offer a 1 TB (128 GB) storage capacity, presenting triple-level cells, a 20Gb/mm² bit density, 16KB page size, four planes, and a 2400 MT/s interface. The maximum data throughput will reach 194 MB/s — eighteen percent above the previous seventh-generation 3D NAND with 238 layers and rates of 164 MB/s. The accelerated input and output will assist with data throughput and help with PCIe 5.0 x4 or higher interface utilization.

The company's research and development teams examined five areas to implement into the new eighth-generation 3D NAND technology:

Triple-Verify Program (TPGM) feature that narrows cell threshold voltage distribution and reduces tPROG (program time) by 10%, which translates into higher performance

Adaptive Unselected String Pre-Charge (AUSP) - another procedure to reduce tPROG by around 2%

All-Pass Rising (APR) scheme that reduces tR (read time) by approximately 2% and cuts word line rising time

Programmed Dummy String (PDS) technique that cuts world line settling time for tPROG and tR by reducing channel capacitance load

Plane-Level Read Retry (PLRR) capability that allows changing the read level of a plane without terminating others, therefore, issuing subsequent read commands immediately and improving quality of service (QoS) and therefore read performance

Since SK Hynix's new product is still in development, it is unknown when SK Hynix will begin production. With the announcement at the ISSCC 2023 conference, it could be speculated that the company is much closer than the public realizes to starting mass or partial production with partners.

The company has not revealed a timeline for producing the newest generation of 3D NAND. Still, analysts are expecting to see movement by the company in 2024 at the earliest, with the following year at the latest. The only issues that would halt development would be if resources became unavailable on a massive scale which would halt all production throughout the company and others.

News Sources: Tom's Hardware, TechPowerUp, Blocks and Files