FMS: NEO Semiconductor Unveils 2nd Gen X-NAND Architecture

NEO Semiconductor, Inc. announced its 2nd Gen X-NAND architecture. X-NAND Gen2 builds upon the X-NAND technology unveiled in 2020.

New patent-pending technology developed by the company’s advances X-NAND architecture, allowing 3D NAND flash programming (i.e., data writes) to occur in parallel using fewer planes. As a result, X-NAND Gen2 delivers 20x faster performance than conventional 3D NAND flash. The X-NAND architecture deploys as a design solution compatible with current manufacturing technologies and processes, providing competitive advantages to semiconductor manufacturers.

The company revealed the X-NAND Gen-2, which doubles throughput over X-NAND Gen1, delivering SLC-like performance with larger capacity and lower cost QLC memory. X-NAND Gen2 incorporates zero-impact architectural and design changes that do not increase manufacturing costs while offering fast throughput and latency improvements.

“The launch of X-NAND Gen2 is a prime example of NEO executing on its market-disruptive approach,” says Andy Hsu, founder and CEO, NEO Semiconductor, and a technology inventor with more than 120 granted U.S. patents. “Our goal is to give the industry a wide array of solutions that address the growing performance bottlenecks in IT systems and consumer products.”

The firm designed and developed X-NAND, a fast 3D NAND flash memory architecture, in response to the inefficiencies of conventional 3D NAND flash, which lead to performance bottlenecks in business systems and consumer devices. X-NAND improves the performance of all generations of 3D NAND flash, including SLC, MLC, TLC, QLC, and PLC. By making non-disruptive architectural and design changes to 3D NAND flash, X-NAND increases throughput and lowers latency.

“NAND fab manufacturers have made major advances with 3D stacking technology by increasing the number of layers while delivering greater memory density and enhancing memory packaging,” said Jay Kramer, president, Network Storage Advisors. “While each generation of flash memory substantially lowers costs, the 2nd generation of X-NAND significantly increases flash memory performance and enables NAND flash solutions that can achieve even greater compelling value.“

In 2020, Flash Memory Summit presented NEO Semiconductor with the Most Innovative Flash Memory Startup award.

The company will attend Flash Summit 2022 in Santa Clara, CA, on August 2-4, 2022.