SanDisk 4-bits-per-cell enables 64-Gbit flash memory

LONDON — Flash memory card company SanDisk Corp. (Milpitas, Calif.) has announced that it has started production shipments of memory cards based on the company's X4 flash memory technology. This technology holds four bits of data in each memory cell, twice as many as the cells in conventional multi-level cell (MLC) NAND memory chips.

The technology, implemented in a 43-nm manufacturing process, has allowed SanDisk to create a 64-Gbit single-die memory device, which the company clams is the world's highest capacity memory in production.

SanDisk said it is shipping 8- and 16-Gbyte SDHC cards as well as 8- and 16-Gbyte memory sticks made using the X4 technology.

Tel Aviv University (TAU) contributed to the X4 advanced error correcting and digital signal processing technology, which was licensed exclusively to SanDisk by Ramot at Tel Aviv University Ltd., TAU's technology transfer company. "X4 took five years of development at SanDisk, and the finished product is a testament to the hard work and collaboration of the parties involved," said Ze'ev Weinfeld, Ramot's CEO, in statement issued by SanDisk. "Once we created the basic approach, SanDisk brought this to fruition by developing its advanced X4 controller and matching it with its advanced 43-nm, 64-Gbit X4 memory thus making full X4 product implementation possible."

"Our world-class design and engineering team has applied its deep experience with high speed 2 and 3-bits-per-cell flash chip designs and collaborated closely with our leading design partners to develop and perfect new and powerful error correction algorithms to assure reliable operation," said Sanjay Mehrotra, president and chief operating officer of SanDisk, in the same statement.

Related links and articles:

www.sandisk.com

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