Micron Rolls Out 16nm MLC NAND Flash Technology For 128Gb Devices

Micron said it's begun sampling next-generation 16-nanometer processing technology, enabling the industry's smallest 128-gigabit multi-level-cell NAND flash memory devices. This isn't just a big achievement in the flash industry, but it's also the most advanced processing node for any sampling semiconductor device, Micro claims.

"Micron's dedicated team of engineers has worked tirelessly to introduce the world's smallest and most advanced Flash manufacturing technology," said Glen Hawk, vice president of Micron's NAND Solutions Group. "Our customers continually ask for higher capacities in smaller form factors, and this next-generation process node allows Micron to lead the market in meeting those demands."

Micron 16nm

Where this technology will benefit the home consumer is in next-generation storage products, including solid state drives (SSDs), removable storage devices (USB drives and flash cards), tablets, ultrathin devices, mobile handsets, and data center cloud storage.

Larger capacity devices could be on the horizon thanks to Micron's 16nm technology. The new 128Gb NAND flash memory offers the greatest bits per square millimeter, and in theory could create nearly 6TB of storage on a single wafer. It's also the lowest cost of any MLC device in existence, Micron says.