Samsung NAND Roadmap Leaked: 560+ Layers by 2030, Racing Toward the 1,000-Layer Flash Era

With the explosive growth of AI computing power, demand for big-data storage continues to surge, driving sustained increases in the market's need for high-capacity solid-state drives (SSDs). SSDs are advancing rapidly toward greater capacity, higher density, and lower costs.

Samsung Targets 560+ Layer NAND Solutions by 2030, with Further Doubling to Follow

In the field of 3D NAND flash memory, the number of stacked layers is the core determinant of storage capacity and density. Compared to traditional planar flash memory, higher layer counts enable significant increases in per-chip storage capacity without enlarging chip size—perfectly matching the high-capacity demands of today's AI data centers, cloud storage, and premium consumer electronics.

According to foreign media reports, Samsung recently unveiled its ultra-high-layer NAND flash roadmap:

2029: Achieve 420-layer NAND flash solutions
2030: Achieve over 560 layers
Early next decade: Doubling NAND stack layers and breaking the 1,000-layer threshold

CMB Technology Enables 1,000-Layer Stacking, 8TB SSDs Could Scale Up to 32TB

Samsung has demonstrated 900/1,000-layer NAND flash solutions. The solution utilizes Cell Multi-Bonding (CMB) technology, combining two 450-layer NAND structures within a single package to double the layer count. Industry analysts estimate that with this approach, an existing 8TB QLC SSD could see its storage capacity expanded to as much as 32TB, dramatically increasing per-drive storage density.

Advanced Technologies Planned to Overcome Mass Production Challenges

While ultra-high-layer stacking may appear straightforward, it imposes extreme demands on manufacturing processes. As NAND layer counts continue to double, challenges such as wafer warpage and inter-layer overlay misalignment become increasingly pronounced, potentially leading to lower yields and insufficient stability.

Samsung is reportedly planning targeted solutions to clear these technological hurdles.

On the one hand, the company intends to introduce an Upper Chuck Design scheme to precisely control wafer deformation, addressing wafer warpage issues at the source under ultra-high-stack processes and ensuring production flatness.

On the other hand, it will implement Overlay Correction technology to precisely rectify inter-layer misalignment errors during multi-layer stacking, significantly improving both yield rates and operational stability for ultra-high-layer NAND chips.