Kioxia and Sandisk have unveiled their 9th-generation 2Tb QLC 3D NAND technology, targeting the growing storage requirements of AI infrastructure and other data-heavy workloads. The new memory uses the companies’ CMOS directly Bonded to Array (CBA) architecture, combining a new CMOS wafer with an established memory-array platform to improve performance without requiring a complete overhaul of the NAND manufacturing process.
Compared with the previous 8th-generation 2Tb QLC, the new design moves to a six-plane architecture and delivers higher read and write bandwidth alongside improved power efficiency. The NAND interface now reaches 4.8Gb/s, representing a 33 percent increase over the previous generation. According to Kioxia and Sandisk, this approach allows the CMOS and memory technologies to be developed independently, helping accelerate new NAND generations while keeping manufacturing investment under control.
Considering the current state of the market, it does not come as a surprise that the companies are positioning the technology for cloud infrastructure, AI systems, and other applications where both storage density and throughput are becoming increasingly important. The move to higher-performance QLC is particularly relevant as AI workloads generate larger datasets and increase the demand for high-capacity storage.
“As AI continues to underpin the advancement of society, its applications are expanding from generative AI to agent-based and physical AI, while the use of data is becoming increasingly diverse and sophisticated. By leveraging its proven memory cell technology together with the latest CMOS technology, Kioxia is accelerating the development of its 9th-generation flash memory. This approach enables us to deliver high performance while keeping investment costs relatively low”, said Chief Technology Officer at Kioxia, Hideshi Miyajima.
“The rapid adoption of AI is accelerating the transition of storage interfaces, creating demand for memory technologies that can evolve more quickly than in previous technology cycles,” said Alper Ilkbahar, Chief Technology Officer at Sandisk. “Our 9th-generation QLC technology demonstrates the unique flexibility of CBA, to accelerate innovation by independently advancing CMOS and memory technologies. We are bringing new capabilities to market more quickly with exceptional capital efficiency.”
The new 9th-generation 2Tb QLC technology represents the latest step in the joint Kioxia-Sandisk 3D NAND roadmap, with the CBA architecture providing additional flexibility for future generations as storage requirements continue to grow.
