Toshiba Introduces 24nm SmartNAND Family

Looking for a little NAND to mix in with your updated rig? Flash storage is becoming easier and easier to find these days, and Toshiba's making it even simpler. The company just announced that their NAND Flash portfolio is expanding with the availability of SmartNAND, a 24nm NAND Flash produce family. That series integrates 24nm process NAND flash technology with a control chip that supports error correction code (ECC) and is available in densities ranging from 4 to 64 gigabyte (GB).


The new series is expressly designed to remove the burden of ECC from the host processor, while minimizing protocol changes. SmartNAND simplifies the host-side design and application of advanced NAND technology in a range of applications including portable media players, tablet PCs, digital TVs, set-top-boxes, and other devices that require high-density, non-volatile memory. That's a lot of technobabble for folks to swallow, but it really boils down to faster and more efficient memory. The company's planning to start sampling the good stuff in mid-April, with mass production planned for Q2.

Toshiba Debuts SmartNAND, Latest Addition to NAND Flash Portfolio

New NAND Flash Embedded Products Integrate Robust Error Management; Simplify Design and Time to Market of Advanced NAND in Customer Applications

IRVINE, Calif., April 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. (TAEC)* today announced that it has enhanced its NAND flash portfolio with the introduction of SmartNAND™, its next-generation 24-nanometer (nm) NAND flash product family. The SmartNAND series integrates leading-edge 24nm process NAND flash technology with a control chip that supports error correction code (ECC) and is available in densities ranging from 4 to 64 gigabyte (GB).

The new series is expressly designed to remove the burden of ECC from the host processor, while minimizing protocol changes. SmartNAND simplifies the host-side design and application of advanced NAND technology in a range of applications including portable media players, tablet PCs, digital TVs, set-top-boxes, and other devices that require high-density, non-volatile memory.

Market demand continues to grow for high density chips that support high resolution video and enhanced storage, and Toshiba is an established innovator in this key area.  The introduction of SmartNAND reinforces its leadership position.

"Toshiba's new SmartNAND will provide our customers a smoother design experience into 24nm generation and beyond," noted Scott Nelson, vice president, Memory Business Unit, Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc.  "By enabling the system designer to directly manage the NAND using a standard or custom host NAND controller, while leaving the function of error correction within the NAND package, SmartNAND results in faster time to market, access to leading geometries and potentially lowers design costs when compared to conventional NAND flash implementations with external ECC."

The new SmartNAND 24nm product lineup is a replacement for current 32nm generation devices. Its advanced process combined with a faster controller and internal interface achieves faster read and write speeds and enhances overall performance. Optimized to suit design objectives, SmartNAND supports a range of read and write speeds including four read modes and two write modes.

Utilizing the long established raw NAND interface, the SmartNAND family includes new features that are optimized for high-capacity and high-performance applications. Managing bit errors is essential so that digital products can maintain acceptable levels of performance and reliability. The integration of error management with the NAND device, in a single package, allows Toshiba's customers to take advantage of high capacity, advanced flash memory solutions that offer excellent error management.

Samples of the new SmartNAND family are available in mid-April and mass production will begin in the second quarter of CY2011 (April to June).