Samsung Releases 32Gb NAND Flash with 40-nm Technology

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Samsung says it has developed the world's first 40-nanometer memory solution. The new 32 Gigabit NAND flash device is the first memory to feature a Charge Trap Flash architecture, a new approach to further increase manufacturing efficiency while improving performance. Samsung's new CTF-based NAND flash memory increases the reliability of the memory by sharply reducing inter-cell noise levels. Its surprisingly simple structure also enables higher scalability, which will eventually improve manufacturing process technology from 40 nm to 30 and even 20nm.

Samsung says, in each 32Gb device, the control gate in the CTF is only 20 percent as large as a conventional control gate in a typical floating gate structure. With CTF, there is no floating gate. Instead, the data is temporarily placed in a "holding chamber" of the non-conductive layer of the flash memory composed of silicon nitride. This results in a higher level of reliability and better control of the storage current. Samsung's 32Gb NAND flash memory can be used in memory cards with densities of up to 64-Gigabytes. One 64GB card can store over 64 hours of DVD resolution movies (40 movies) or about 16.000 MP3 music files (1.340 hours).

The CTF design is enabled through the use of a TANOS structure comprised of tantalum, aluminum oxide, nitride, oxide and silicon. The use of a TANOS structure marks the first application of a metal layer coupled with a high k material to the Samsung's NAND device. The TANOS CTF architecture, which serves as the foundation of the Samsung's 40nm 32Gb CTF NAND flash announced today, was developed after extensive research of the Samsung Semiconductor R&D department.

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