Toshiba announced the launch of a 64 GB embedded NAND flash memory module, the highest capacity yet achieved in the industry.

The new device combines sixteen 32Gbit (equal to 4GB) NAND chips fabricated with Toshiba's 32nm process technology, and also integrates a dedicated controller.

Micron claims it has raised the performance bar for SSDs with the launch of its RealSSD C300 SSD, the industry’s fastest for notebook and desktop PCs.

While benchmark tests have shown that the C300 SSD is the fastest PC SSD leveraging the industry standard SATA 3Gb/s interface, the SSD performance is further boosted by natively supporting the next generation high-speed interface – SATA 6Gb/s, according to Micron.

The C300 SSD leverages the SATA 6Gb/s interface to achieve a read throughput speed of up to 355MB/s and a write throughput speed of up to 215MB/s. Using the common PC Mark Vantage scoring system, the C300 SSD turns in a score of 45,000 from the HDD Suite.

Samsung announced that it commenced the industry’s first volume production of 3-bit, multi-level-cell NAND flash chips using 30-nm-class process technology at the end of November.

The chips will be used in NAND flash modules accompanied by Samsung 3-bit NAND controllers to initially produce 8 GB microSD cards.

The company also announced other NAND advancements - the industry’s first mass production of its 30-nm-class, 32 Gb, MLC NAND memory with an asynchronous DDR interface.

Toshiba has launched what it claims is the first PC integrating 512GB SSD (Solid State Drive).
The top-of-the-range Portege R600-ST4203 (known as dynabook SS RX2/WAJ in Japan) is a notebook PC employing a 2-bit-per-cell multi-level NAND flash memory.

Until recently, the idea of using solid-state disk (SSD) flash drives in an enterprise storage subsystem would have been deemed ludicrous.
Ray Lucchesi, president of Silverton Consulting, however, says that recent trends in NAND technology have made SSDs more viable in the enterprise storage market.

SanDisk has announced plans to ship an ultra-dense form of NAND flash memory that could herald a breakthrough in storage.
Called X4, the technology uses a special memory controller that maintains data traffic speed while still fitting four bits of data per cell.

NAND flash revenue in two key applications - Solid State Drives (SSDs) and Video Capture from Digital Video Cameras (DVCs) - will see compound annual growth rates (CAGR) of over 100 per cent through 2012, according to In-Stat.
The analysts said this will overcome some of the weaknesses in other segments of the NAND flash market and drive overall growth to 30 per cent CAGR.

The rush to release the first Terabyte SSD continues with Toshiba's announcement of a 2.5-inch 512GB NAND-based model.
Market analysts expect SSDs will account for 10 per cent of the market for notebook computer storage by 2010, and 25 per cent by 2012.