SK Hynix Begins Mass Production of World's Highest 321-Layer NAND Flash Memory

2024-11-21 — SK Hynix has announced the commencement of mass production of the world's highest 321-layer 1Tb (terabit) TLC (Triple Level Cell) 4D NAND flash memory.

SK Hynix stated: "Since June 2023, we have been mass-producing the current highest generation of 238-layer NAND flash products, supplying them to the market. Now, we are leading the way again with the launch of over 300-layer NAND flash, pushing the boundaries of technology. We plan to begin providing the 321-layer product to customers starting in the first half of next year to meet market demand."

During the development of the 321-layer NAND flash, SK Hynix employed the high-efficiency "3-Plug" process technology to overcome stacking limitations. This process involves executing the through-hole formation in three stages, followed by the optimized connection of three through-holes via electric interconnects. Throughout this process, the company developed a low-stress material and introduced automatic alignment correction technology between the through-holes. The development platform for the 238-layer NAND flash was also applied to the 321-layer product, minimizing process changes and enhancing production efficiency by 59% compared to the previous generation.

Compared to the previous generation, the new 321-layer product offers a 12% improvement in data transfer speed and a 13% enhancement in read performance, while also achieving more than a 10% improvement in data read energy efficiency. SK Hynix aims to address the emerging low-power, high-performance AI storage market with its new 321-layer NAND flash and gradually expand its application areas.

Choi Jung-dae, Vice President of NAND Flash Development at SK Hynix, stated: "The company has taken the lead in mass-producing over 300-layer NAND flash, positioning us advantageously in the market for AI-targeted storage solutions, such as SSDs for AI data centers and edge AI. In addition to our high-performance DRAM, including HBM, we now have an ultra-high-performance NAND flash product portfolio, positioning us as a 'comprehensive AI-oriented storage supplier'."