Samsung Electronics has kicked off mass production of its 9th generation 286-layer QLC NAND flash memory, aiming to meet the surging demand for high-capacity storage driven by artificial intelligence.

This new QLC technology is notable for being the first in the industry to produce one-terabit quad-level cell (QLC) 9th-generation vertical NAND (V-NAND) in large quantities.

Currently, Samsung is focusing on producing 1TB versions of these QLC NAND chips for its consumer storage products, with broader applications anticipated in the near future.

SungHoi Hur, Samsung's Executive VP, emphasized that this production is timely to address the growing demand for advanced SSD solutions in the AI era.

The new V9 QLC NAND boasts the highest storage density in the industry at 19.5 Gb/mm², making it nearly 50% denser than its closest competitor.

Samsung claims that these advancements could lead to SSD prices that are nearly 50% lower than the current highest-capacity options available on the market.

The new QLC NAND chips promise significant performance improvements, including an 86% increase in bit density, double the write performance, and read-write speeds up to 60% faster than previous models.

In addition to performance enhancements, the new QLC V-NAND chips also feature a reduced power consumption profile, cutting data read and write power by approximately 30% and 50%, respectively.

This 9th-generation QLC NAND incorporates advanced technologies such as 'Channel Hole Etching' and a 'double stack' design, enabling a higher layer count and improved performance metrics.

The maximum transfer rate of these chips reaches 3.2 Gbps, an increase from the previous generation's 2.4 Gbps, further enhancing their appeal for high-performance applications.

As the enterprise SSD market grows rapidly due to increased demand for AI applications, Samsung is strategically focusing on QLC and TLC V-NAND to capture this expanding market.

There are anticipations for upcoming 16TB M.2 SSDs utilizing this technology, although these plans have not been officially confirmed yet.