Western Digital announces BiCS4 NAND Flash memory - with 96 layers of vertical storage capability

Western Digital today talks about BiCS4 NAND Flash memory, that will be based up-on a massive 96 layers of vertical storage capability. They are going ahead full speed as sampling to OEM customers is expected to commence in the second half of calendar year 2017 already. 

That means initial production output is expected in calendar year 2018. BiCS4, which was developed jointly with Western Digital's technology and manufacturing partner Toshiba Corporation, will be initially deployed in a 256-gigabit chip and will subsequently ship in a range of capacities, including a terabit on a single chip.

The company also highlighted strong ongoing operations at its joint venture manufacturing facilities in Japan. In particular, the company reiterated its expectation that in calendar year 2017, the output mix of its 64-layer 3D NAND technology, BiCS3, will comprise more than 75 percent of its overall 3D NAND bit supply. The company now believes that, along with its partner Toshiba Corporation, the combined 64-layer 3D NAND bit output of the joint ventures in calendar year 2017 will be higher than any other industry supplier in calendar year 2017.