New Flash Memory Production Tech Could Boost SSD Capacities

Today’s flash memory is denser and faster than ever, but as AI and new software places ever greater demands on it, the need for more compact memory continues. A new technique for cutting holes in the stacked layers of modern memory chips could help speed up production dramatically, aiding in the creation of 3D NAND with more layers than ever before, whilst keeping costs down.

Building 3D memory chips is a complicated process, with some of the top companies, like Micron, Samsung, and SK-Hynix, now developing 400-layer chips. One of the most demanding parts of the memory module manufacturing process, though, is etching: cutting holes through each layer to allow data and power to travel through it. It’s time-consuming and increasingly complicated as the layer count continues to rise.

Enter researchers from Lam Research, the University of Colorado Boulder, and the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, who have developed ...