Seoul: South Korean chipmaker SK hynix Inc. announced on Monday the initiation of mass production for its new quadruple level cell (QLC) NAND flash, designed to meet the increasing demand for high-performance products in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the 321-layer 2Tb QLC NAND flash product has achieved a significant milestone by doubling data transfer speeds. The new technology also improves writing and reading performance by 56 percent and 18 percent, respectively, as per the company's statement. This development marks the first time more than 300 layers have been implemented using QLC technology, setting a new standard in NAND density.
The company plans to release this innovative product in the first half of next year following the completion of global customer validation. SK hynix emphasized that the development of the 2Tb device aims to maximize cost competitiveness, while also facilitating greater parallel processing and significantly enhancing simultaneous read performance.
NAND flash memory products are essential components in smartphones and laptops, offering the advantage of preserving data without a power supply, unlike mobile dynamic random access memory (DRAM). With the commencement of mass production, SK hynix has notably strengthened its high-capacity product portfolio and secured cost competitiveness, as stated by Jeong Woop-yo, head of SK hynix's NAND development.
Jeong further mentioned that the company aims to make a significant advancement as a full-stack AI memory provider, aligning with the rapid growth in AI demand and the high-performance requirements of the data center market.