Exploring the Horizon of 3D NAND Technology: The Journey Towards 500 Layers
The future of 3D NAND technology is shaping up to be an exciting one, with major players in the industry set to make significant strides in both layer counts and interface speeds for TLC and QLC NAND products. By 2027, companies such as Kioxia, Micron, Samsung, SK Hynix, and YMTC are expected to reach these high-performance milestones.
YMTC, a Chinese manufacturer, is demonstrating rapid scaling in its products. From 128-layer TLC with a 3600 MT/s interface speed in 2024, YMTC is planning to move to 300+ layer stacks by 2027, with both TLC and QLC lines reaching speeds of 4800 MT/s. The company's QLC products are aiming to hit this speed level by late 2026, although the exact layer counts for QLC remain unspecified.
Other manufacturers, like Kioxia, are focusing on improving performance per watt and leveraging system-level enhancements along with PCIe 5.0 and NVMe 2.0 standards in their 3D NAND SSD products. This results in higher sequential and random read/write speeds that complement the improved NAND layer and interface characteristics.
By 2027, interface speeds are projected to reach up to 4800 MT/s for both TLC and QLC NAND, a substantial improvement over earlier generations. Layer stacking is moving toward 500 layers or more, enabling denser and faster storage solutions.
However, these advancements come with challenges. Vertical scaling introduces new yield issues, while higher speeds now require logic process nodes, which raises manufacturing costs. As a result, the production of high-speed NAND flash (3600 MT/s and higher) becomes more expensive, driving up production costs and inflating flash memory prices.
YMTC is using its proprietary Xtacking architecture to simplify integration and has a wide patent portfolio for hybrid bonding. It remains to be seen whether PCIe 6.0 x4 SSDs will be a reality for consumer storage devices within the next few years.
By 2025, some manufacturers have already reached speeds of 3600 MT/s for both TLC and QLC 3D NAND. Samsung's V9T IC, for example, boasts 286 layers and a 3600 MT/s interface speed, while Micron's B68S IC features 276 layers and a 3600 MT/s data transfer rate. Kioxia and Western Digital have introduced BiCS 8 3D NAND with between 218 and 232 layers, featuring interface speeds of 2400 MT/s - 3600 MT/s.
SK hynix's V9T also features 321 layers and a 3600 MT/s interface speed. YMTC's X3-9070 3D TLC product, on the other hand, has 232 layers and a 3600 MT/s interface.
These advancements will allow SSDs to provide greater capacities, read/write speeds, and endurance suitable for enterprise and high-performance computing needs. Innovations in ECC and controller technologies will address reliability as bit density increases. The increase in 3D NAND data transfer rates will also have practical implications for how devices like SSDs and smartphones are built.
[1] https://www.anandtech.com/show/17030/ymtc-to-introduce-300-layer-qlc-nand-with-4800-mt-s-interface-in-2026 [2] https://www.anandtech.com/show/16998/ymtc-introduces-3600-mt-s-x3-9070-3d-tlc-nand [3] https://www.anandtech.com/show/16994/kioxia-announces-232-layer-bics-8-3d-nand-with-3600-mt-s-interface
- YMTC's QLC products, with a planned interface speed of 4800 MT/s by late 2026, are poised to revolutionize the finance sector by offering faster data transfer rates for financial transactions and enhanced computing capabilities for financial institutions that rely on technology.
- As Samsung, Micron, Kioxia, and other manufacturers continue to push the boundaries of science by developing faster and denser 3D NAND technology, the potential for advancements in various sectors, including technology and finance, becomes increasingly promising, driving growth and innovation.
