Samsung Develops Solid State Disk Using NAND Flash Technology

NE Asia Online
http://neasia.nikkeibp.com/topstory/001318

 May 25, 2005 -- Samsung Electronics Co Ltd has announced its 
development of what it claims is the first solid state disk (SSD) 
based on NAND Flash memory technology for consumer and 
mobile PC applications. The NAND-based SSD is a low-power, 
lightweight storage media for notebook PCs, sub-notebook PCs 
and tablet PCs. Using the industry's highest density 8-Gbit 
NAND Flash, Samsung can build SSDs with a capacity of up to 
16 Gbytes. 

The SSD has a power consumption rate less than 5% of today's 
hard disk drives (HDD), enabling next-generation mobile PCs to 
extend their battery life by more than 10%, Samsung claims. 
The NAND-based SSD weighs less than half that of a comparably 
sized HDD. 

Free of moving parts, the Samsung SSD memory has minimal 
noise and heat emission. Moreover, it is a highly reliable storage 
media that endures exceptionally well in environments with 
extreme temperatures and humidity, making it suited for 
industrial and military applications. 

The SSD's performance rate is said to exceed that of a comparably 
sized HDD by more than 150%. The storage disk reads data at 
57Mbps and writes it at 32Mbps. 

To ensure compatibility, SSDs have been designed to look like 
HDDs from the outside. Samsung has developed a full line up of 
SSDs: 2.5-inch type SSDs that carry 16 NAND Flash devices of 
4-Gbit or 8-Gbit density for 8 Gbytes and16 Gbytes of storage 
respectively. 1.8-inch type SSDs will also offer 4 Gbytes or 
8 Gbytes of density. The 1.8-inch type SSD will be available in 
August, 2005 for sub-notebook and tablet PCs. 

Samsung expects NAND Flash applications to expand from 
current applications in digital still cameras (DSC), MP3 players, 
and 3G mobile handsets to mobile and digital consumer 
appliances, as NAND Flash becomes more widely recognized 
as a reliable, high-density, data storage medium for the widest 
range of consumer demands.