Counterattack
Toshiba has started to catch up with Samsung by introducing a 3-bit Solid State Drive (SSD). This is a little behind Samsung Electronics time-wise, but experts are expecting to see a fast technological appliance based on accumulated expertise, since NAND Flash originated in Japan.
According to the industry on August 7, Toshiba released a TLC-based SSD in which 3-bit information can be written in one cell at the 2014 Flash Memory Summit, which is the largest exhibition related to flash memory in the world. Accordingly, Toshiba has become the second company to apply TLC in SSDs worldwide.
The semiconductor industry has been skeptical about SSD products based on TLC so far, because these products, in spite of low production costs, have a shorter life span and lower stability compared to those using Multi Level Cells (MLCs). However, the situation rapidly changed once Samsung Electronics started to increase the sales of SSD products equipped with TLC.
Another important variable is that performances of TLC-based SSDs have been improved to a similar level as MLC. An industry professional explained, “With TLC NAND products, countermeasures such as controller improvement and SLC buffers are used in order to overcome the limit. However, as controller technology is advanced, TLC structure could capture better stability than MLC.”
The greatest reason is price. The price of SSDs is sharply dropping these days to compete, so existing NAND prices and MLC structure has lower price competitiveness. Particularly from the second quarter when Samsung Electronics and Micron Technology were lowering their high-quality SSD prices, minor companies who sell budget SSD products were in fact forced to sell SSDs at clearance prices.
Toshiba is chasing very fast. As of the first quarter, 60 percent of the entire NAND production of Samsung Electronics were TLC based, but Toshiba scored 25 percent. Only three years ago, the TLC NAND production portion in Toshiba was higher than Samsung Electronics. For the third quarter of 2011, TLC NAND portion of Toshiba was 44 percent, more than double that of Samsung Electronics.
SK Hynix, which just entered the SSD market recently, is also putting their best efforts to develop TLC and 3D NAND Flash. SK Hynix is planning to complete development of TLC and 3D NAND by the third quarter this year, and deliver sample products to their clients. If this plan goes well it will be only one quarter behind Toshiba and two years behind Samsung Electronics.
Toshiba and Micron will be able to start the mass production of 3D NAND next year. According to industry sources, Micron will complete sample development by the first quarter next year, and deliver the samples to the clients. Toshiba will start the mass production of 3D NAND within this year. Toshiba also has a plan to transform all NAND production lines to 3D starting from next year.