Kioxia, Sandisk unveil 10th-gen QLC flash with 60% density boost

1 min read Updated on 04 Aug 2026, 11:01 PM

Reviewed by

Ritika DScanX News Team

AI Summary

Kioxia and Sandisk introduced 10th-generation QLC 3D flash memory with a 60% higher bit density (>37 Gb/mm²) and a 4.8 Gb/s interface. Using CMOS directly Bonded to Array technology, the solution improves power efficiency for AI and cloud storage. Both companies aim to commercialize the technology to meet growing data demands.

*this image is generated using AI for illustrative purposes only.

Kioxia Corporation and Sandisk Corporation unveiled their next-generation Quad-Level-Cell (QLC) 3D flash memory technology on August 4, 2026, delivering a 60% increase in bit density compared to their previous generation. The announcement, made at the Future of Memory and Storage Conference, positions the new 10th-generation technology as the industry benchmark for bit density, performance, and power efficiency, directly addressing the escalating power and cooling demands of modern AI and cloud infrastructure.

The technology leverages CMOS directly Bonded to Array (CBA) architecture, which fabricates CMOS logic and the memory array on separate wafers before bonding them with high-precision alignment. This approach enables the industry’s first QLC 3D flash memory to reach a 4.8 Gb/s interface, facilitated by Toggle DDR6.0 and the Separate Command Address (SCA) protocol. Additionally, Power-Isolated Low-Tapped Termination (PI-LTT) enhances I/O data-out transfer power efficiency.

Key Technology Specifications

Feature	Specification	Improvement
Bit Density	>37 Gb/mm²	Up to 60% increase vs 8th-gen
Interface Speed	4.8 Gb/s	Industry first for QLC
Architecture	332-layer	Optimized floorplan design
Protocol	Toggle DDR6.0	Enables SCA protocol

Hideshi Miyajima, Chief Technology Officer at Kioxia, stated that QLC technology enables efficient storage of rapidly expanding data volumes, supporting greater performance and scalability for AI systems as applications expand from generative AI to agent-based and physical AI. Kioxia plans to accelerate development toward the commercialization of its 10th-generation flash memory products incorporating this technology.

Alper Ilkbahar, Chief Technology Officer at Sandisk, noted that AI training, inference, and hyperscale datacenter workloads are driving unprecedented growth in data generation. He emphasized that the 10th-generation QLC 3D flash memory delivers simultaneous gains in density, bandwidth, and energy efficiency, establishing a new paradigm for high-capacity flash storage.

What the Numbers Show

The simultaneous improvement in both bit density and interface speed marks a significant shift in storage economics for AI workloads. While previous generations often traded bandwidth for density, the 10th-generation technology achieves a 60% density increase while unlocking a 4.8 Gb/s interface. This dual advancement suggests that data-intensive applications can scale capacity without proportionally increasing power consumption or cooling requirements, a critical factor for hyperscale data centers facing infrastructure constraints.

How will the adoption of Kioxia and Sandisk's 10th-generation QLC technology impact the competitive landscape against rival NAND manufacturers like Samsung and SK Hynix?

What are the projected timelines for mass production, and how might supply chain constraints affect the initial availability of these 332-layer chips?

Will the shift to CBA architecture significantly alter manufacturing costs or yield rates compared to traditional monolithic processes?

Read Next Article

Kioxia unveils KIOXIA XL1 CXL memory module for AI workloads

1 min read Updated on 03 Aug 2026, 01:59 PM

Reviewed by

Ritika DScanX News Team

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AI Summary

Kioxia Corporation launched the KIOXIA XL1 series, a CXL-compatible memory expansion module using XL-FLASH technology for AI workloads. The product aims to solve data center capacity and cost issues by bridging the gap between DRAM and SSDs. Evaluation samples will ship to collaborators in August 2026, marking a new use case for flash memory in high-performance computing.

*this image is generated using AI for illustrative purposes only.

Kioxia Corporation, a global leader in memory solutions, announced the launch of the KIOXIA XL1 series, a Compute Express Link™ (CXL™) compatible memory expansion module, on August 3, 2026. The company will exhibit the new hardware at its booth during FMS: the Future of Memory and Storage, held from August 4 to 6 in Santa Clara, California. This launch addresses critical data center challenges driven by artificial intelligence workloads, specifically capacity shortages and rising costs, by offering a solution that improves DRAM utilization efficiency in hyperscale environments.

The KIOXIA XL1 series integrates KIOXIA XL-FLASH™, a proprietary low-latency and high-performance flash memory technology. Unlike traditional flash memory used primarily for storage, this module is engineered to function as a memory expansion solution. By placing less frequently accessed data on the module, the system enhances overall DRAM efficiency. This architecture effectively bridges the performance and cost divide between conventional DRAM and solid-state drives (SSDs), enabling scalable memory expansion for demanding AI applications.

Product Specifications and Timeline

The following table outlines the key technical features and rollout schedule for the KIOXIA XL1 series as disclosed in the announcement.

Feature	Detail
Product Name	KIOXIA XL1 Series
Interface	Compute Express Link™ (CXL™) Compatible
Core Technology	KIOXIA XL-FLASH™
Primary Application	Memory-intensive AI Workloads
Function	Memory Expansion Module
Sample Shipment Date	August 2026

Evaluation samples of the KIOXIA XL1 series are scheduled to be shipped to industry ecosystem collaborators in August 2026. These samples are designated for evaluation purposes only. Kioxia noted that some functions may not have been fully tested and that specifications are subject to change prior to commercial availability.

What the Numbers Show

The introduction of the KIOXIA XL1 series signals a strategic shift in how flash memory is utilized within enterprise infrastructure. Traditionally, flash memory served strictly as storage, while DRAM handled active processing. By leveraging XL-FLASH™ technology through a CXL interface, Kioxia is repositioning flash memory as a viable tier for memory expansion. This move directly targets the cost-performance inefficiencies in current AI data center architectures, where DRAM scarcity drives up operational expenses. The ability to offload less frequently accessed data to this new module suggests a potential reduction in total cost of ownership for hyperscale operators without compromising the low-latency requirements of AI workloads.

How might the widespread adoption of CXL-compatible memory expansion modules impact the pricing dynamics and supply chain for traditional high-bandwidth DRAM in hyperscale data centers?

What specific software stack optimizations or operating system updates will be required to effectively manage the latency differences between active DRAM and Kioxia's XL-FLASH tier?

How does Kioxia plan to differentiate the XL1 series from competing CXL memory expansion solutions from other major memory manufacturers like Samsung or Micron?