15nm NAND Flash Chips to Be Available From Toshiba …

Toshiba Corporation has developed the world’s first 15nm process technology, which will apply to 2-bit-per-cell 128Gb (16GB) NAND flash memories.

1nm is 1×10-9 or 1/1,000,000,000m.

Mass production with the new technology will start at the end of April at Fab 5 Yokkaichi Operations, Toshiba’s NAND flash fabrication facility, replacing second generation 19nm process technology, Toshiba’s previous process.

The second stage of Fab 5 is currently under construction, and the new technology will also be deployed there.

First 15nm NAND Flash Memories

Toshiba has achieved the smallest class chip size with the 15nm process plus improved peripheral circuitry technology. The new chips achieve the same write speed as chips formed with second generation 19nm process technology, but boost the data transfer rate to 533Mb/s, 1.3 times faster, by employing a high speed interface.

Toshiba is now applying the 15nm process technology 3-bit-per-cell chips, and aims to start mass production in the first quarter of this fiscal year, to June 2014. The company will develop controllers for embedded NAND flash memory in parallel and introduce 3-bit-per-cell products for smartphones and tablets, and will subsequently extend application to notebook PCs by developing a controller compliant with SSD.

Toshiba continues to follow its process technology development roadmap and will strengthen product competitiveness and performance by applying process to production.