back to article WD shoots out 96-layer embedded flash chips

Western Digital has a 96-layer NAND chip for smartphones and has spoken of higher embedded storage capacity while seemingly delivering exactly the same capacity as before. The iNAND EU321 Embedded Flash drive (EFD) has a UFS 2.1 interface and comes in the same 32GB, 64GB, 128GB and 256GB capacities as the prior 64-layer EU311 …

  1. Spazturtle Silver badge

    "The EU321 drive is the same physical size as the EU311 drive as well: 11.5x13x1.0mm."

    So the package is the same size but what about the actual die?

    A 7nm wafer costs around $12k, so if they can get twice the chips out of a single wafer then 96-layer QLC has a big advantage.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Minor nit, multilayer NAND uses processes in the 30-40 nm range, not 7nm. Not sure about the cost per finished wafer, you don't need multipatterning which saves some effort, but there are far more total process steps because there are several per layer.

      But yes, any time you can shrink and get more devices per wafer you save money and hopefully (eventually) the savings are passed on to us in the form of more GB per dollar/pound/euro.

  2. Shadow Systems

    Still measured in Gigabytes?

    Dang it, we want AttoBajilliCrunchiDamnExaFwahGoogoleplexiHolyshitIckickickyptwangJumboKrakenLeviathanMondoNarfOMGPetaQuadRawrStupendousTitanicUberVulcanWowXcessivYaddaZippybytes!

    *Cough*

    I'll get my coat, my frog pills are in the pockets...

    1. Jamie Jones Silver badge

      Re: Still measured in Gigabytes?

      Well, wish.com and amazon.co.uk sell flash thumb drives with 2Tb capacity for under £20!

      Apparently these companies are above the law now...

  3. YourNameHere

    Fab time?

    How long does it take to get a 96 layer design through a fab? The mask set has to be incredibly expensive for this thing. Any ideas on a mask set cost with this many layers?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Fab time?

      I would expect that the layers are repeated, not like logic where each layer is unique. So less than 96 distinct masks required. Also NAND volume would let you spread the mask cost across many devices.

    2. bombastic bob Silver badge
      Devil

      Re: Fab time?

      Fab cost as well. Is the fallout rate higher? Is the overall process more expensive?

      maybe economy of scale and working out the bugs will improve this to lower prices, and maybe grow the capacity some more, but how long will we need to wait for this?

  4. Steve Aubrey
    Joke

    I sense a call from fruity lawyers

    "to produce iNAND products"

    Shorely some infringement somewhere??

    1. RobThBay

      Re: I sense a call from fruity lawyers

      I was about to post something similar. LOL

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