Samsung begins mass-production of 1TB QLC 9th-gen V-NAND

Samsung Electronics’ 9th generation QLC V-NAND. (Samsung Electronics)

Samsung Electronics Co. announced on Thursday that it has launched mass production of 1 terabit (Tb) quad-level cell (QLC) 9th generation vertical NAND (V-NAND) for solid state drives (SSDs) used in ultra-high capacity servers for the first time in the industry.

Samsung‘s 9th-generation V-NAND achieves the highest stacking density in the industry through advanced channel hole etching and a double-stack structure. This technique involves stacking mold layers and creating channel holes for electron movement in a single pass.

The new V-NAND increases bit density by approximately 86 percent compared to the previous generation by reducing cell and peripheral sizes.

To ensure uniform cell characteristics amid the higher stacking levels, Samsung has utilized designed mold technology. This approach enhances data retention performance by 20 percent by optimizing the spacing of word lines (WL) that control the cells.

The QLC 9th Generation V-NAND also boasts a 100 percent improvement in writing performance and a 60 percent boost in data input/output speed, thanks to predictive programming technology that anticipates cell state changes and minimizes unnecessary operations.

Additionally, Samsung’s low power design technology reduces voltage driving NAND cells and senses only necessary bit lines (BL), leading to a 30 percent reduction in power consumption for data reading and a 50 percent decrease for writing.

Samsung views this high-performance, high-capacity QLC 9th Generation V-NAND as a key innovation to advance the mass adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) services. As data centers expand and the need for efficient data processing grows, the industry is also shifting to QLC from triple-level cell technology.

Market research firm TrendForce predicts NAND flash sales will hit $67.4 billion this year, a 77 percent increase from the previous year. QLC is expected to make up 20 percent of NAND shipments this year, with this figure set to rise significantly next year.

In response, Samsung is enhancing its portfolio with a focus on AI server products and plans to expand into next-generation applications, including on-device AI, automotive electronics, and edge devices.

“We’ve succeeded in the mass production of the 9th Generation QLC V-NAND just four months after the 9th Generation TLC, reinforcing our leadership in the rapidly growing enterprise SSD market for AI applications,” the company said.