New 3D Flash Memory Technology from Kioxia and Sandisk Achieves Industry’s Highest Bit Density for QLC NAND

10th-generation QLC 3D flash memory represents a major leap forward for AI storage architectures, cloud platforms, and data‑intensive innovations

Future of Memory and Storage Conference (FMS) – Kioxia Corporation, a subsidiary of Kioxia Holdings Corporation (TOKYO: 285A) and Sandisk Corporation (Nasdaq: SNDK) today unveiled their next-generation Quad-Level-Cell (QLC) 3D flash memory technology, which delivers up to 60% increase in bit density compared to their 8th-generation, surpassing 37 Gb/mm² and setting the industry benchmark¹ for bit density, performance and power efficiency.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260804147821/en/

Leveraging the companies’ revolutionary CMOS directly Bonded to Array (CBA) technology² which fabricates CMOS logic and the memory array on separate wafers before bonding them together with high-precision wafer-to-wafer alignment, the new generation improves read and write bandwidth compared to the 8th-generation 3D flash memory and becomes the industry’s first QLC 3D flash memory technology to reach a 4.8 Gb/s ³ interface.

Additional interface enhancements improve I/O data-out transfer power efficiency. These large power efficiency upgrades directly address the power and cooling challenges of modern AI and cloud infrastructure.

Chief Technology Officer at Kioxia, Hideshi Miyajima, said, “As AI continues to underpin the advancement of society, its applications are expanding from generative AI to agent-based and physical AI, while the use of data is becoming increasingly diverse and sophisticated. QLC technology enables the efficient storage of rapidly expanding data volumes, helping deliver greater performance and scalability for AI systems. Kioxia will accelerate development toward the commercialization of its 10th-generation flash memory products incorporating QLC technology.”

Chief Technology Officer at Sandisk, Alper Ilkbahar, said, "As AI training, inference, and hyperscale datacenter workloads drive unprecedented growth in data generation, the storage industry faces increasing pressure to deliver greater capacity, higher performance, and improved energy efficiency. By redefining the performance and efficiency envelope of QLC NAND, our 10th-generation QLC 3D flash memory delivers simultaneous gains in density, bandwidth, and energy efficiency and establishes a new paradigm for high‑capacity flash storage to provide a scalable foundation for next‑generation infrastructure applications.”

Key 10th-genaration QLC 3D flash memory technology highlights include:

• 332‑layer architecture and optimized floorplan design deliver up to 60% increase in bit density, achieving >37 Gb/mm² compared to the 8th-generation.
• 4.8 Gb/s ³ NAND interface enabled by Toggle DDR6.0 and the Separate Command Address (SCA) protocol to unlock the full potential of fast interface.
• CMOS directly Bonded to Array (CBA) architecture enhances density scaling, performance, and manufacturing efficiency.
• Power‑Isolated Low‑Tapped Termination (PI‑LTT) improves I/O data-out transfer power efficiency.

1. As of August 4, 2026, based on Kioxia and Sandisk survey.
2. Technology wherein each CMOS wafer and cell array wafer are manufactured separately in their optimized condition and then bonded together.
3. 1Gb/s is calculated as 1,000,000,000 bits/second. This value is obtained under our specific test environment, and may vary depending on use conditions.

About Kioxia

Kioxia is a world leader in memory solutions, dedicated to the development, production and sale of flash memory and solid-state drives (SSDs). In April 2017, its predecessor Toshiba Memory was spun off from Toshiba Corporation, the company that invented NAND flash memory in 1987. Kioxia is committed to uplifting the world with “memory” by offering products, services and systems that create choice for customers and memory-based value for society. Kioxia's innovative 3D flash memory technology, BiCS FLASH™, is shaping the future of storage in high-density applications, including advanced smartphones, PCs, automotive systems, data centers and generative AI systems.

About Sandisk

Sandisk (Nasdaq: SNDK) delivers innovative Flash solutions and advanced memory technologies that meet people and businesses at the intersection of their aspirations and the moment, enabling them to keep moving and pushing possibility forward. Follow Sandisk on Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, YouTube. Join TeamSandisk on Instagram.

Sandisk and the Sandisk logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sandisk Corporation or its affiliates in the US and/or other countries. All other marks are the property of their respective owners. Product specifications subject to change without notice. Pictures shown may vary from actual products.

© 2026 Sandisk Corporation or its affiliates. All rights reserved.

Company names, product names and service names may be trademarks of their respective companies.

Forward Looking Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of U.S. federal securities laws, including statements regarding expectations for the performance, capabilities, improved power efficiency, bit density and scalability of Sandisk Corporation’s and Kioxia Corporation’s BiCS10 QLC technology; the expected growth of AI training, inference, and hyperscale datacenter workloads and the resulting demand for growth in data generation; the anticipated benefits of the BiCS10 QLC architecture for modern AI, cloud infrastructure, hyperscale data centers, and enterprise storage applications; and the anticipated industry significance and competitive positioning of the technology. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Key risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements include: adverse changes in global or regional economic conditions, including the impact of evolving trade policies, tariff regimes and trade wars; volatility in demand for Sandisk’s products; pricing trends and fluctuations in average selling prices; exposure to execution, financial and market risks due to long-term agreements; inflation; changes in interest rates and a potential economic recession; the impact of business and market conditions; the impact of competitive products and pricing; the development and introduction of products based on new technologies and management of technology transitions; risks associated with strategic initiatives, including restructurings, acquisitions, divestitures, cost saving measures and joint ventures; risks related to product defects; difficulties or delays in manufacturing or other supply chain disruptions; reliance on strategic relationships with key partners, including Kioxia Corporation; the attraction, retention and development of skilled management and technical talent; risks associated with the use of artificial intelligence in business operations; changes to relationships with key customers or consolidation among the customer base; compromise, damage or interruption from cybersecurity incidents or other data system security risks; reliance on intellectual property; fluctuations in currency exchange rates; actions by competitors; risks associated with compliance with changing legal and regulatory requirements; and other risks and uncertainties listed in Sandisk’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on August 21, 2025 and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on May 1, 2026, to which your attention is directed. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof, and Sandisk undertakes no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements to reflect new information or events, except as required by law.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260804147821/en/