What is NAND flash?
A form of non-volatile semiconductor memory, NAND flash offers high capacity data storage and makes possible the portability of large volumes of music, photos, videos, email and other data on today’s consumer electronics.
In 1987, Toshiba innovation brought us flash technology. It has changed how we interact with our devices—and our world. Thanks to flash, our phones, cameras, laptops, MP3 players and more are smaller, more durable, faster, more robust — and much smarter.
Things have really changed since 1987.
From smartphones to digital cameras to solid state drives and cloud computing, NAND flash has enabled many milestones, and forever altered many of the devices that we use every day. Take a walk through history with us.
First paper for the flash EEPROM was presented by Toshiba at IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM) in San Francisco.
Both NOR and NAND types of flash memory were invented by Dr. Fujio Masuoka while working for Toshiba in the 1980s. Originally called simultaneously erasable EEPROM, the name flash was suggested because the device could erase a large number of memory.
First NAND-type flash memory technology was presented by Toshiba at IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM). The NAND-type flash was a new flash configuration that reduced the memory cell area so that a lower bit cost could be achieved. Unlike dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chips, flash chips can retain the information they store even when the electric current has been switched off.
Toshiba developed the world's first 4-megabit (Mb) NAND-type Electrically Erasable and Programmable Read-only Memory (EEPROM).
16-megabit (Mb) device which enabled PCMCIA Cards (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association) for portable data storage.
First generation standardized memory cards were introduced with a PCMCIA interface for data storage for portable computers and personal digital assistants. These cards were also used in some of the early digital cameras. A 40MB card would have cost several thousands of dollars, and would only have been able to store 9-10 pictures using today's 10-megapixel camera.
Originally named Solid State Floppy Disk Card (SSFDC), SmartMedia was the first NAND-based removable media format. In 1996, it was established as an industry standard, enabling the digital camera market to develop.
Industry's first NAND flash joint venture paved the way to today's megafab constructions. Large-scale production lowered the cost per gigabit, leading to the use of NAND Flash storage in a wider range of products.
The SD card was introduced in 1999 by Matsushita, SanDisk and Toshiba. In 2000, Panasonic, SanDisk Corporation and Toshiba Corporation established the SD Association to develop and promote memory card storage standards. By standardizing the Secure Digital (SD) Card format, the digital camera market was able to develop more rapidly. Also in 2000,Toshiba introduced the world's first product designed to use the SD (Secure Digital) Memory Card, a mobile audio player (MEA110AS).
8MB to 64MB SLC NAND-based Secure Digital (SD) Memory cards were introduced to OEM customers. A revolutionary universal flash memory storage device, SD Memory cards were developed to meet the converging security, capacity, and performance requirements of the emerging audio, video, data and multimedia consumer electronics markets.
Industry's highest density MLC NAND chip became available and paved the way to higher density storage at a lower cost-per-bit.
First memory card form factor to use Multi-level Cell NAND technology, the 1Gigabyte (GB) CompactFlash card met the industry's need for higher-capacity flash cards demanded by the increased popularity of higher-resolution digital cameras.
0.13 micron 1Gb monolithic Large Block NAND provided a high-performance embedded memory solution at an attractive cost-per-bit for digital cameras, PDAs and other emerging applications like MP3 players.
This new NAND flash memory configuration doubled the bus width, reducing the time required to transfer data. As a result, the overall system performance of cell phones and mobile devices was increased, and the mobility of content enabled, supporting the emergence of the Smartphone market.
Multi-chip (MCP) stacking technology reduced board space for mobile/handheld applications, enabling smaller, more feature-rich phones. Stacking multiple die and technologies in a single package provided a low-cost, high-performance option for a complete cell phone memory subsystem.
Fab 3, the first 300-millimeter (mm) NAND flash "megafab" was developed to meet the growing demand for flash memory in digital consumer devices, including digital still cameras, MP3 and music players. High volume production lowered the cost per gigabit, leading to the use of NAND flash storage in a wider range of products.
8-gigabit (Gb) NAND flash memory chip ushered in the new era of 1-gigabyte (GB) data storage capacity on a single chip. NAND flash is introduced in MP3 players, providing space, weight and power savings over hard disk based - hardware.
microSD card is launched to support storage requirements in cell phone applications. Today, microSD cards are the defacto removable storage standard for cell phones. The Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) format was introduced by the SD Association. The SDA 2.00 specification enabled SD cards to reach higher capacities: 4GB - 32GB.
Fab 4, Toshiba's 2nd 300-millimeter (mm) NAND flash "megafab" was developed to meet the growing demand for flash memory in a wide range of digital electronic applications, including MP3 music players, mobile phones and memory cards.
16GB e-MMC chip combined eight 2GB NAND chips with a controller chip in a standard single, small size package. The controller function minimized customer development requirements and eased integration into system designs. e-MMC is now the industry standard for embedded memory in Smartphones and mobile products.
First Multi-level Cell (MLC) SATA-based and largest capacity solid state drive (SSD) drive is launched. MLC-based SSDs lowered the average price per gigabyte of an SSD and helped achieve more acceptable price points for OEMs, accelerating adoption in the market.
Toshiba's second-generation SSDs bring increased capacity and performance enabling an improved computing experience and faster boot and application loading times.
Advanced multi-bit per cell technology (3-bit-per cell and 4-bit-per-cell) enabled advances in chip densities and cost savings for next generation devices. In 2009, Toshiba's 3-bit-per-cell 32-gigabit (Gb) chip represented the smallest die-size yet achieved.
128GB e-MMC uses a stack of sixteen 64Gb (64 gigabit, or 8 gigabyte) NAND chips, demonstrating Toshiba's advanced stacking capabilities.
Commitment to support the toggle DDR 2.0 specification enabled broad-scale acceptance of this new high-speed technology, and accelerated its use in SSD applications and enterprise storage.
Fab 5, Toshiba's 3rd 300-millimeter (mm) NAND flash "megafab" was developed to support strong global demand for NAND flash memory fueled by the growth of Smartphones, tablets,enterprise and other electronic devices.
The world's finest process yet achieved yields single chips with a 64 Gb capacity.
128 Gb capacity in a 3-bit-per-cell chip on a 170mm2 die
So many devices today rely on NAND flash memory. See for yourself—without a doubt you'll find some things you use every day.
No keyboard, no problem! The ultimate in mobility — thin, light and rugged - tablet computing as we know it would not be possible were it not for flash memory.
Using your phone just to make calls? So old fashioned. Flash makes it possible for the simple cell phone to now do things on the go like stream video, take pictures, tackle emails and find yourself with GPS - and it still makes a phone call!
Can"t decide which book to bring? Bring them all! Long road trips and airplane rides have been made more tolerable with the invention of eReaders. Flash technology makes stacks and stacks of digital ebooks and periodicals entirely portable — a virtual library right at your fingertips.
Now we travel worry free with previous destinations and new treks at our fingertips. Thanks to flash with its solid memory — we may never get lost again.
Now super slim and light as air, gone are the days when a fanny pack was required to hold your Walkman in order to take your tunes on the go. Flash memory has given us access to thousands of songs - anywhere, any time.
Camera film is a thing of the past. Thanks to flash, we no longer have to worry about running out of film, missing that perfect shot or accidentally exposing and ruining it — along with our precious memories.
Flash means no more lugging the big "guy" to the kids sports events. Today, digital video cameras store more and do more — including letting you share viral videos on the Web and even strap a camera to a helmet that puts you right in the action — all sized small enough to fit in the palm of your hand.
We love them for their instant-on capability, reduced size and weight and extended battery life — but ultrabooks would be a figment of our imaginations if not for flash memory.
Sayonara floppy disks and CD ROMS! Flash memory spawned the USB drive — smaller, faster, more durable and reliable...with thousands of times more capacity.
Smaller than a book of matches, flash technology has made these little wonders possible. Most portable consumer electronic devices rely on SD cards as a means of storing several gigabytes of data in a very small size. Plug it in anywhere!
Move over hard drives — flash based SSDs are the secret sauce that makes devices more mobile and portable — smaller, slimmer and faster- with an added dose of increased ruggedness
Flash is changing the field of gaming. Fast, vivid, interactive game play takes flash. Bring on the excitement!
Note to self — no more flipping tiny tapes. With flash-enabled voice recorders, capturing your ideas, recording lectures, conversations or virtually anything is easy and hassle free.
It pays to be green - enterprise data centers are becoming more eco-friendly and cost-effective thanks to solid state drives — they now require less cooling and use less energy. Added bonus: flash also gives lightning-fast access to all of this data.
With flash, vending machines are getting smarter. Having a memory, means they can store vital inventory and aging information to ensure all goods are stocked and freshly at hand. No more stale snacks!
Staying fit with flash-enabled equipment makes it easy to track your progress - time/distance, calories burned, heart rate and more. Bring on the skinny jeans!
Not your father's TV, today with flash our TVs store user settings including resolution and closed captioning. And, as they become the center of today"s Smart Home, they are ready to let you do even more — including view photos and videos and browse the Web.
Flash technology has shaped the evolution of the unassuming printer — these days, printers function almost as computers, truly "all in one" devices that combine printing, scanning, copying and faxing functionalities.
Higher-end set top boxes, such as DVRs, are in living rooms all over the world — thanks to flash, you can view movies on demand — and you may never watch another commercial!
No, it has nothing to do with the weather forecast — cloud computing is a remote database that your computer connects to through the Internet. Thanks to flash Memory Arrays, you'll be able to get quick access to your files, music, etc. no matter where you are - as long as you have Internet access.
Read the latest releases and grab supporting information.
For more, contact: Kevin Mayberry, Lages & Associates: (949) 453-8080, kevin@lages.com.
Fact Sheet: 25 Years of NAND Flash
Toshiba Fact Sheet
5.2MB
Industry Voices on NAND Flash's 25TH Anniversary
toshiba-industry-voices.pdf
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flash-drive.jpg.zip
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