Samsung is reportedly on the verge of announcing its next-generation V-NAND technology for SSDs, which will feature 290 layers for the first time. The company currently offers 236-layer V-NAND, so it's not a massive jump in layers like we're used to regarding these announcements. However, Samsung is reportedly working on a new die-stacking technology that could improve capacities and yields.
News of Samsung's plans comes from a website called Hankyung, which states Samsung will be moving to a "Double Stack" design for its 9th generation V-NAND. This technology will involve stacking two 145-layer dies on top of one another with vertical interconnects. Though it requires a complicated manufacturing process, producing 145-layer dies is better for yields than making a singular 290-layer design. However, it will result in a modest initial gain in the number of layers (236 to 290).
The company will then continue to use this new "string stacking" technology on future versions of its V-NAND dies. According to the report, the 10th generation of V-NAND will expand on this technique by stacking three 145-layer dies to create 430-layer NAND by late 2025. Samsung is hoping this new "string stacking" technology will keep it ahead of its main rival SK Hynix, which is currently at 238 layers but plans to go to 321 layers next year, according to Tom's Hardware.
Reports indicate the rise of AI is behind the current race to increase areal density and performance for NAND flash, as the need for memory and storage is practically limitless for large language models. Samsung might be focusing more on yields and density than performance in the future, though, as it looks to QLC NAND more than TLC, which will help bring down costs—a crucial factor when considering data center levels of storage. Samsung has also stated that it hopes to have a 1,000-layer design by 2030.
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