Kioxia Sampling QLC UFS V.4.1 Embedded Flash Memory Devices for High-Capacity Mobile Storage

Kioxia America, Inc. announced that it has begun sampling ⁽¹⁾ new Universal Flash Storage ⁽²⁾ (UFS) Ver. 4.1 embedded memory devices with 4-bit-per-cell, quadruple-level cell (QLC) technology.

Designed for read-intensive applications and high-capacity storage needs, the new devices are powered by the company’s 8^th Gen BiCS FLASH 3D flash memory technology.

QLC UFS offers a higher bit density than traditional TLC UFS, making it suitable for mobile applications that require higher storage capacities. Advancements in controller technology and error correction have enabled QLC technology to achieve this while maintaining competitive performance.

Building on these advancements, the new firm devices achieve substantial performance increases ⁽³⁾. Kioxia’s QLC UFS boosts sequential write speeds by 25%, random read speeds by 90%, and random write speeds by 95% compared to the previous-gen (UFS 4.0/BiCS6 QLC UFS) ⁽⁴⁾. Write Amplification Factor (WAF) is also improved by up to 3.5x (with WriteBooster disabled).

Well-suited for smartphones and tablets, the firm’s QLC UFS also supports emerging product categories that demand higher capacity and performance, including PCs, networking, AR/VR, IoT, and AI-enabled devices.

Available in 512GB and 1TB capacities, the new UFS 4.1 devices combine the company’s advanced BiCS FLASH 3D flash memory and an integrated controller in a JEDEC-standard package. The company’s 8th Gen BiCS FLASH 3D flash memory introduces CBA (CMOS directly Bonded to Array) technology – an architectural innovation that marks a step-change in flash memory design.

Key features include:

Compliant with the UFS 4.1 specification. UFS 4.1 is backward-compatible with UFS 4.0 and UFS 3.1
BiCS FLASH Gen 8 3D flash memory
WriteBooster support for significantly faster write speeds
Reduced package size compared to the previous QLC UFS: 11×13 mm → 9×13 mm

“Kioxia continues to advance flash memory technology to meet the growing demand for higher-capacity, high-performance storage,” said Maitry Dholakia, vice president, memory business unit, Kioxia America. “Our QLC UFS 4.1 devices reflect ongoing innovation in both architecture and design, enabling our customers to build increasingly capable mobile and connected products.”

⁽¹⁾ Specification of the samples may differ from commercial products
⁽²⁾ Universal Flash Storage (UFS) is a product category for a class of embedded memory products built to the JEDEC UFS standard specification. Due to its serial interface, UFS supports full duplexing, which enables both concurrent reading and writing between the host processor and UFS device
⁽³⁾ Based on Kioxia internal testing
⁽⁴⁾ 512GB product, when WriteBooster is enabled