NAND in 2023: Layer Counts Rise and QLC advances
Blocks&Files, Friday, January 12th, 2024
It was a roller coaster year for NAND flash storage as shipments sank then recovered as a cyclical downturn reversed. Suppliers increased cost effectiveness by extending 3D layer counts and using QLC flash, but looking at PLC and other extreme bits-per-cell counts proved disappointing.
The year started with NAND fabricators experiencing depressed revenues as a supply glut met muted demand. They cut production then saw demand start rising again as customers used up their existing inventory.
NAND foundry operators cut $/GB production costs by using more layers in their 3D NAND to build higher capacity dies. We saw a steady flow of layer count increases during the year, starting at the 218-layer level.