Samsung sampling 50nm NAND
By Colleen Taylor -- EDN, January 3, 2007
Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. announced this week that it is now sampling its 16Gbit NAND flash memory with customers—what it touts as the first NAND flash using 50nm process technology.
The first samples of this high density NAND flash memory have a multi-level cell (MLC) design with a 4KByte page size. According to Samsung, the new 4KByte page function improves the conventional 2KByte paging system for MLC NAND flash to double the read speed, while increasing write performance 150 percent.
Samsung said that early market introduction of 16Gbit and higher density NAND flash memories also are expected to accelerate the adoption of non-volatile memory applications such as flash-based solid state disks.
Samsung plans to begin mass producing its 16Gbit NAND flash memory in the current quarter.
In related memory news, Samsung's earlier 2KByte, 60nm version of its OneNAND memory got a nod of approval last month from Qualcomm when it announced the flash memory will be supported by new Qualcomm Mobile Station Modem chipsets.
