Kioxia sends out QLC technology for powering blazing-fast SSDs

Kioxia sends out QLC technology for powering blazing-fast SSDs

Japanese SSD manufacturer Kioxia, spin-off from Toshiba, has started sending 2Tb-sized QLC devices to selected partners and customers. This type of storage uses eighth-generation BiCS FLASH 3D technology, suitable for servers and other digital storage systems that require high-capacity and efficient memory solutions.

Quad-level Cell (QLC) technology in NAND flash memory stores four bits of data per cell, increasing storage density compared to older Single-Level Cell (SLC), Multi-Level Cell (MLC), and Triple-Level Cell (TLC) technologies. Disadvantages include potentially slower write speeds, higher latency, and lower endurance (number of write/erase cycles) compared to those other write technologies.

Faster with less latency

However, Kioxia’s BiCS FLASH technology improves the memory dies vertically and laterally and incorporates CMOS direct Bonded to Array (CBA) technology to achieve greater density and interface speeds of up to 3.6 Gbps. This device’s bit density is 2.3 times higher than its predecessors, which Kioxia says means a 70 percent improvement in write power efficiency and a maximum capacity of 4Tb thanks to a 16-die stacked architecture.

One company that is already getting excited about this development is Pure Storage. This storage array provider plans to integrate Kioxia’s 2Tb QLC technology into its DirectFlash Module (DFM) storage systems. These are already known for their higher performance compared to traditional SSDs. Pure Storage plans to release DFMs of 150 Tb by 2025 and one of 300 Tb the following year. Kioxia’s technology should play an important role in reaching these milestones.

Read also: Kioxia talks again about merger with Western Digital and comforts SK Hynix