Samsung has officially begun mass-producing its 250GB SATA SSDs with its 6th generation 256-gigabit 3-bit V-NAND controller. The new controller is supposedly the brand’s solution the stacking limitation of 3D NAND, featuring a new 100+ layers single-tier design.
To get into specifics, the new V-NAND crams 40% more cells into the new SSD compared to the previous 9x-layer single-state structure. Samsung explains that this was achieved by building a 136-layer, electrically conductive mould stack, and then vertically piercing cylindrical holes (from top to bottom) into them. In order to create even, uniform 3D charge trap flash (CTF) cells.
To further minimise errors and read latencies that usually come with stacking layers too high, Samsung incorporated a “speed optimised circuit” that allows it to achieve write operations below 450 microseconds, and below 45 microseconds for read operations. The new 100+ layers stack also come with reduced power consumption by more than 15%.
Using the same technology, Samsung says that it will also be able to offer V-NAND solutions comprising 300 layers. Simply by combining thre of the 100+ layers stacks together, all without any compromise to the storage’s performance and reliability.
It’s likely that Samsung will debut the new V-NAND technology in what could possibly be the new EVO solid-state product lineup, although the brand has yet to announce the official name for it. Further, Samsung also plans on offering 512Gb 3-bit V-NAND SSDs and eUFS during the second half of this year.
(Source: Samsung)
