Seoul, Korea on Jan 03, 2007
Seoul, Korea - January 3, 2007 : Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., the world leader in advanced semiconductor technology solutions, announced that it is now sampling its 16-gigabit (Gb) NAND flash memory with customers - the first NAND flash using 50 nanometer (nm) process technology.
The first samples of this high density NAND flash memory have a multi-level cell (MLC) design with a 4Kbyte (KB) page size to enhance both its read and write features. The new 4KB page function improves the conventional 2KB paging system for MLC NAND flash to double the read speed, while increasing write performance 150%. By nearly doubling the overall performance of Samsung‘s MLC NAND, mobile consumers will enjoy faster data transfer speeds when storing or reading large data files whether they‘re using an external memory card, or a handset with a built-in flash solution such as Samsung‘s moviNAND?. Early market introduction of 16Gb and higher density NAND flash memories is expected to accelerate the adoption of non-volatile memory applications such as flash-based solid state disks. Samsung plans to begin mass producing its 16Gb NAND flash memory in the first quarter of 2007. SAMSUNG Mass Producing Industry‘s First 1.8-inch, 64GB Solid State Drive, Targeted for Notebook PCsSeoul, Korea on Jun 25, 2007 Seoul, Korea - June 25, 2007 : SAMSUNG Electronics Co., Ltd., the world leader in advanced semiconductor technology, announced that it has begun mass producing 1.8-inch solid state drives (SSD) at 64GB (gigabytes) - the highest density SSD available today for mobile computing applications.
"We see sharply increasing interest in SSDs among OEMs worldwide amid a growing push to launch premium SSD-based notebooks, particularly in the ultra-mobile category," said Jim Elliott, director, flash marketing, SAMSUNG Semiconductor, Inc. SSDs feature far greater reliability, faster boot times and faster application start-up times than hard disk drives. SSD can also improve battery life by up to 20 percent in notebooks. The 64GB SSD consists of 64 eight Gigabit (Gb) single-level cell flash memory chips. Use of 51nm process technology permits fabrication of much smaller components, with each chip having circuitry 1/2500th the width of a human hair. SAMSUNG is aggressively expanding market development efforts for its SSDs. Industry wide attention on ultra-light, ultra-slim notebook PCs with flash memory based SSDs reflects early market support for this new storage medium. In addition, SAMSUNG has already introduced 32GB SSDs into ultra-mobile personal computers (UMPCs). SSDs also are being considered for server applications such as in advertising and for Web search engines. Other digital consumer products such as camcorders, PDAs and printers can now be equipped with SSDs ranging from 4GB to 64GB. SAMSUNG‘s mass production of 64GB SSDs makes it the largest producer of high-capacity SSDs in the world. Rapid expansion of the 1.8-inch SSD market will spark demand for even smaller SSD formats to be used in mobile consumer electronics. The miniaturization of SSDs will give rise to new types of digital products. Over the next three years, 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch SSDs will also gain a great deal of momentum for widespread use in standard notebooks and desktop PCs, respectively. SAMSUNG expects that sales of SSD units will increase at a rapid 270 percent pace industry-wide between now and 2010 to become the largest growth segment in the NAND flash industry. Samsung Introduces 1.8" - Type 64GB Flash-based Solid State Driveon Mar 27, 2007 on Mar 27, 2007 Taipei, Taiwan - March 27, 2007 : Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., the leader in advanced semiconductor technology, announced at its annual Mobile Solution Forum in Taipei that it has developed a 1.8”-type 64 Gigabyte (GB) flash-solid state drive (SSD). The new flash-SSD is based on an eight gigabit (Gb) single-level-cell (SLC) NAND, which provides significantly higher performance over conventional SSDs. The read and write performance of the new SLC flash-SSD have been increased by 20 percent and 60 percent respectively over the 32GB flash-SSD Samsung introduced last year, meaning that the new SSD‘s ability to outperform conventional rotating-media hard drives is even greater than had been anticipated. Samsung‘s continued nano-technology migration is a key enabling factor in the continued market segmentation for storage media. Besides the use of the 64 GB flash-SSD for notebook PCs, 8~16GB flash-SSDs will become viable solutions for use in personal navigation systems and digital camcorders, as will and hundred GB-level flash-SSDs for use in the server market. The flash-SSD, a drop-in replacement for a hard disk drive, is a secure and reliable means of storing personal or work-related data. It uses instantly-accessible, non-moving NAND flash memory instead of the noisier, power-hungry, jarring-sensitive rotating disc found in conventional hard drives, allowing it to upload and download data quickly and quietly with minimal power consumption. Samsung plans to start mass production of the 1.8"-type 64GB flash-SSD in the second quarter of this year. The SSD market is expected to reach US$200 million in 2007 and increases to US$6.8 billion by 2010 - an impressive compound annual growth rate of over 200 percent. 1.8"-type flash-SSD / rotating-disc HDD Feature Comparison Samsung‘s 64GB Flash-SSD Samsung‘s 32GB Flash-SSD 80GB HDD Read/Write Speed R : 64MB/s (4.3) W : 45MB/s (6.4) R : 53MB/s (3.5) W : 30MB/s (4.3) R : 15MB/s (1) W : 7MB/s (1) Weight 15g (1/4) 15g (1/4) 61g (1) Power Consumption O : 0.5W (1/3) I : 0.1W (1/15) O : 0.5W (1/3) I : 0.1W (1/15) O : 1.5 W (1) I : 1.5W (1) Note : 1. () represent the performance comparison with HDD 2. 32GB Flash-SSD was first launched in 2006 3. 64GB Flash-SSD was first launched in 2007 SSD Market Forecast ‘06 ‘07 ‘08 ‘09 ‘10 Units (Min pcs) 0.022 1.73 6.5 28 90 Market Volume(Min$) 56 218 893 2,585 6,826 About Samsung Electronics Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2006 parent company sales of US$63.4 billion and net income of US$8.5 billion. Employing approximately 138,000 people in 124 offices in 56 countries, the company consists of five main business units : Digital Media Business, LCD Business, Semiconductor Business, Telecommunication Network Business and Digital Appliance Business. Recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com
Samsung Launches NAND Flash-based Solid State Disk for Mobile PCson Mar 21, 2006 Taipei, Taiwan - March 21, 2006 : Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., the leader in advanced semiconductor technology, announced at the Mobile Solution Forum that it has begun offering a 32-Gigabyte (GB) NAND flash-based solid state disk (SSD) -- marking the first time that NAND flash has moved into mobile computing applications.
The 32GB Flash-SSD, which serves the same purpose as a hard disk drive, is a sophisticated data storage medium for notebooks and other mobile computers. It uses instantly-accessible, non-moving NAND flash memory instead of the rotating discs found in hard drives; therefore can upload and download data quickly and quietly with minimal power consumption. The Flash-SSD weighs only half as much as a comparably-sized hard drive, but reads data three times faster and writes data 1.5 times faster. The SSD uses just five percent of the electricity needed to power a hard disc drive and is noiseless. Its design is free of any motor or other mechanical parts. The commercialization of Samsung‘‘s 32GB Flash-SSD is a historic milestone for storage devices as it marks the initial entry of NAND flash memory in the mass mobile PC market. Samsung sees the overall global SSD market surging from US$540 million in 2006 to US$4.5 billion by 2010. Solid State Disk Market Forecast by Web-Feet Research Aug. ‘‘05
Flash-SSD / HDD Feature Comparison
Samsung Flash Solid State Drives (SSDs) Fully Compatible with Windowson Oct 17, 2006 Seoul, Korea - October 17, 2006 : Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., leader in advanced semiconductor technology, today announced that its three solid state disk (SSD) drives have been officially recognized by Microsoft Corporation as fully qualified Windows-compatible peripherals.
After thorough testing by its Windows Hardware Qualification Lab (WHQL), Microsoft has validated that Samsung SSDs meet all of the requirements for storage media in a Windows operating environment. "Microsoft‘‘s certification of Samsung‘‘s SSDs provides designers with the added assurance of full compatibility in a demanding Windows environment, with our SSDs adding a strong dose of speed, reliability and power savings." said Jon Kang, senior vice president of Technical Marketing at Samsung Semiconductor. Samsung‘‘s SSDs also markedly enhance system performance. The SSDs have a data read speed of 57MB/s and data write speed of 32MB/s, more than double the performance levels of a 1.8-inch HDD. Moreover, the SSDs provide a performance boost of up to 50 times that of a 1.8 HDD when servicing small, random data "read" requests. Such faster speeds shorten application program operating time as well as system boot time. Samsung‘‘s new solid state memory solutions also enable longer battery life. Their power usage rate in an operational mode is less than 0.5W and in sleep mode just 40mW, which extends battery usage up to 30 minutes. With no moving parts, Samsung‘‘s SSDs provide higher reliability with greater resistance against vibration, shock, extreme temperature, noise and heat emission. Microsoft has certified a 32GB 1.8-inch sized Samsung SSD, a 32GB slim-type Samsung SSD (53.6x70.6x3.0mm) and a 16GB small-type SSD (56x48x3.8mm). The new sizes support the physical requirements of sub-notebook PCs. The SSDs‘‘ substantial size and weight advantages are expected to further encourage a steady adoption of SSDs into a number of PC applications, such as in ultra mobile PCs, "ruggedized" notebooks and special industrial applications. Reference SSD Market Outlook
(Source : Web-Feet Research, August 2006) Samsung Flash Solid State Drives (SSDs) Fully Compatible with Windowson Oct 17, 2006 Seoul, Korea - October 17, 2006 : Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., leader in advanced semiconductor technology, today announced that its three solid state disk (SSD) drives have been officially recognized by Microsoft Corporation as fully qualified Windows-compatible peripherals.
After thorough testing by its Windows Hardware Qualification Lab (WHQL), Microsoft has validated that Samsung SSDs meet all of the requirements for storage media in a Windows operating environment. "Microsoft‘‘s certification of Samsung‘‘s SSDs provides designers with the added assurance of full compatibility in a demanding Windows environment, with our SSDs adding a strong dose of speed, reliability and power savings." said Jon Kang, senior vice president of Technical Marketing at Samsung Semiconductor. Samsung‘‘s SSDs also markedly enhance system performance. The SSDs have a data read speed of 57MB/s and data write speed of 32MB/s, more than double the performance levels of a 1.8-inch HDD. Moreover, the SSDs provide a performance boost of up to 50 times that of a 1.8 HDD when servicing small, random data "read" requests. Such faster speeds shorten application program operating time as well as system boot time. Samsung‘‘s new solid state memory solutions also enable longer battery life. Their power usage rate in an operational mode is less than 0.5W and in sleep mode just 40mW, which extends battery usage up to 30 minutes. With no moving parts, Samsung‘‘s SSDs provide higher reliability with greater resistance against vibration, shock, extreme temperature, noise and heat emission. Microsoft has certified a 32GB 1.8-inch sized Samsung SSD, a 32GB slim-type Samsung SSD (53.6x70.6x3.0mm) and a 16GB small-type SSD (56x48x3.8mm). The new sizes support the physical requirements of sub-notebook PCs. The SSDs‘‘ substantial size and weight advantages are expected to further encourage a steady adoption of SSDs into a number of PC applications, such as in ultra mobile PCs, "ruggedized" notebooks and special industrial applications. Reference SSD Market Outlook
(Source : Web-Feet Research, August 2006) Seagate to industry: HDDs will continue to dominate storage
While NAND flash memory storage in the form of SSDs is being touted as the next killer application, manufacturers of HDDs (and some companies manufacture both) are not sitting in the park position. David Burks, director of product line management, consumer electronics, Seagate Technology, reminded the DISKCON 2007 audience that HDDs are still the storage technology of choice. He cited Gartner data showing that in 2006 <1.5% of all memory storage was in flash, but the forecast percentage only goes up to <5% by 2011 [see chart below]. The title of Burks‘ presentation, "Hard Drives and Flash Memory: The Virtuous Circle of Storage Technologies," drove home his main point. While much of the demand for flash memory storage is coming from consumer demand -- i.e., most content consumers want to retain on their personal devices (MP3 players, USB drives, digital cameras, etc.) -- this content is often originally stored on tethered PCs containing HDDs. And much of the content people want to download from Web sites is stored on enterprise servers or the server farms of sites such as Google, Yahoo, and YouTube, and these server farms are using HDDs for storage. Even content that is downloaded to flash memory devices, he noted, is often saved on backup systems that contain HDDs. So as far as Seagate is concerned, the more flash memory devices that are sold, the greater will be the demand for HDDs, and HDDs will continue to dominate the storage industry. -- -- D.V. Samsung makes an enterprise play with SSDsDate: ??, 2007By Debra Vogler, Senior Technical Editor, Solid State Technology The growing role that solid-state drives (SSDs), which use NAND flash memory to store digital data, are playing in the storage market was the subject of much discussion at last week‘s IDEMA DISKCON 2007 conference in Santa Clara, CA. Jim Elliott, director of flash marketing at Samsung, was upbeat about the growing market for new applications using NAND flash memory, explaining that the NAND market is diversifying beyond consumer applications, such as USB drives, MP3 players, and the cell phone, to SSDs. He noted that the cost of NAND flash is decreasing ~50%/GB/year, while density is increasing at a rate of 2X/yr. The typical density range for an MP3 player as well as cell phones is ~512MB?8GB; for SSDs, the range is 32GB?64GB.
Samsung expects several additional key growth areas for NAND flash: DSC/DSLR, DVC, and car navigation/GPS systems. Presenting market data from the SEC, Elliott anticipates a >14X GB increase between 2007 and 2010 for the navigation market, with the number of units surging from slightly less than 30M in 2006 (portable and built-in units combined) to >100M units by 2010. As NAND storage densities continue to increase, Samsung sees a major opportunity in the notebook space -- projecting that 71% of capacity requirements in corporate notebooks are <60GB, according to Elliott. But the "play" is not just in the market itself ? rather, a chance to get past the seasonal cyclicality (i.e., year-end holidays) imposed by the proliferation of applications in consumer electronics at the lower density levels. Because SSD densities have now reached the level required for corporate notebooks (64GB), Samsung believes the time is ripe to pick this low-hanging fruit. Key to selling into corporate IT customers, Samsung believes, will be SSD attributes of reliability, high-impact resistance, light weight, and overall performance (e.g., sequential read/write speeds) and low power consumption. However, there‘s evidence that the pitch is working for more than just the corporate notebook customer -- the company recently announced that its 2.5" SATA 64GB SSDs are available in Dell and Alienware consumer notebooks. Dell is offering Samsung‘s SSD drive on its XPS M1330 ultra-portable notebook, with plans to make it available across additional XPS systems and its Latitude corporate notebooks and Precision mobile workstations later this year. Alienware is going to provide a 128GB SSD configuration, using dual 64GB SSD drives in a RAID 0 array, in addition to a single 64GB SSD combined with a large capacity 200GB 7200RPM drive for the Area-51 m9750 gaming notebook. The next adjacent market Samsung is targeting is the sophisticated gamers -- but these gamers aren‘t "kids," Elliott noted, pointing out that the average gamer is 31 years old and typically buys 2-3 PCs a year to take advantage of newer faster processors or memory types. "These are people very in tune with performance, so an SSD is another arrow in the quiver to have the fastest PC on the block," he said. The size of the gaming market segment belies the fact that this demographic is at the leading edge of the technology adoption curve, Elliott added. "The gamers are the thought leaders, these are the guys who blog [and] post performance metrics; they see which way the industry is going." Once SSD densities get above 100GB, Samsung‘s next target market is the mass consumer, for which it plans to offer 128GB SSD densities by the end of 2008. After that, the company expects SSD densities to continue to increase, but it is also researching the possibility of combining single- and multi-level cell (SLC and MLC) technology to drive down cost and get further leverage in the consumer electronics space. SSDs currently use only SLC technology for higher performance and better endurance, Elliott explained, but because MLC has a much smaller die size/GB it‘s possible to get anywhere from 70%-90% more GB/wafer (depending on lithography and yields) ? and even with MLC‘s lower yield, it is an attractive proposition for driving down cost in consumer electronics storage devices. Although work is still in the R&D stage, the company hopes to be the first to offer the SLC-MLC combination. "We‘re very well positioned," Elliott told WaferNEWS. "We have ~90% market share on SLC flash, so we expect to leverage off our SLC portfolio, and we‘re the world‘s largest MLC supplier as well." -- D.V.
Samsung Introduces Server-Grade NAND flash for SSDsSamsung Electronics announced today that it collaborated with Sun Microsystems to develop a SLC NAND flash memory with five times the endurance of conventional NAND flash memory. This would put the "ultra-endurance server-grade" flash memory at 500k program/erase cycles.
To extend the endurance, Samsung likely tweaked the underlying cell process and/or modified the programming algorithm. The net result is that the improved endurance comes at the expense of reduced performance or retention. However, by targeting high transactional enterprise applications with this device, the degraded retention should not be an issue. Toshiba Eyes 50% Share of Notebook SSD Market in 2010May 9, 2008 19:52
Shinichi Kato, Nikkei Microdevices Atsutoshi Nishida, president and CEO of Toshiba Corp, expressed the company‘s commitment to solid state drive (SSD) with multi-level NAND flash memory at the corporate strategy meeting for fiscal 2008 in Tokyo on May 8, 2008. "We aim to win at least a 50% market share for SSDs used in notebook PCs in 2010 or 2011," Nishida said. The company expects that SSD-equipped machines account for 10% of all notebook computers in 2010, and 25% in 2011. For the development of SSD technology, Toshiba organized a company-wide project team, feeling that it would be too difficult for Toshiba Semiconductor Co to be able to handle the multi-level NAND flash memory by itself. Members of the project were brought together not only from Toshiba Semiconductor but also from Toshiba‘s personal computer and HDD departments, in addition to the heads of R&D for the entire company. "I asked the related sections of the HDD business that might compete against SSD technology for their support and gained it," Nishida said. "I told them that unless they provided their expertise and complete cooperation, the company would not make any further investment in HDD technology." Nishida emphasized that not many competitors can keep up with Toshiba in the development of multi-level NAND flash memory because it is an extremely difficult technology. This is why Toshiba aims to win at least a 50% market share for SSD used in notebook PCs, he said.
http://techon./english/NEWS_EN/20080509/151528/ 固态存储盘(SSD)的发展之快将超出预料上网日期: 2008年08月04日
硬盘(HDD)不仅在个人消费电子设备领域基本被NAND闪存/卡挤兑得几乎无容身之地,如今,在它占据主导的PC/服务器数据存储领域,也开始受到后者的巨大威胁。NAND闪存在功耗、速度、数据可靠性、重量以及静音等方面具有非常明显的优势,随着轻薄型笔记本电脑在整个PC市场份额的持续增加,NAND的这些优势变得更加具有吸引力,基于NAND闪存的固态存储盘(SSD)正在逐步走入这些应用。
“由于价格还太昂贵(上千美元),目前我们的SSD主要面向出口,国外一些个人笔记本用户和服务器用户对此有一定需求。虽然短时间内容它还不可能取代已达T级容量的硬盘,但发展势头不错,市场前景很好。”本土SSD制造商忆正存储技术(深圳)有限公司资深工程师黄河指出。
的确,SSD正不断朝更高容量密度/耐用性和更低价格演进,促使它在整个存储器市场的份额逐年增加。如图1所示,Gartner预计2012年将发展成44亿美元的市场规模(有人称这一预测过于保守,实际发展速度将更快),而这一切得益于NAND闪存技术的进步以及巨头公司们的推动。
图1:未来几年SSD与HDD设备的市场预测(来源:Gartner)。
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很多读者一定已经了解到,就在6月初,当存储器巨头三星公司刚刚宣布推出42nm闪存芯片不久,英特尔与美光就宣布其闪存合资公司IM Flash Technologies已开发出34纳米的32Gb的多层单元(MLC)和16Gb单层单元(SLC)芯片,使得每GB的成本价降低到1美元以下,将三星、东芝、Hynix等其他巨头抛在身后(领先半年左右,见图2)。
图2:NAND闪存巨头之间工艺竞赛曲线。
英特尔在工艺技术方面领先性常常让人“叹为观止”,如今在闪存工艺开发上得到了充分发挥。美光存储器系统开发部副总裁Dean Klein不久前在世界巡回发布会上展示了一个用于新一代34纳米器件生产的300毫米晶圆(图3),指出其上可切割出400个左右的32Gb芯片,相当于每片晶圆包“产出”1.6TB的NAND闪存容量。而IM Flash Technologies已在研发20nm工艺级别的64Gb MCL闪存器件,预计将于2009年问市,不过Klein没透露具体细节。
图3:用于新一代34纳米NAND器件生产的300毫米晶圆,可切割出400个左右的32Gb芯片。
不仅在工艺上有重大突破,此新器件也标志着标准NAND向高速NAND的转变,其读写的速度有5-6倍的提升,极大地提高了存储器带宽,特别适用于SSD、USB3.0、超高速缓存盘、视频点播服务器、混合硬盘驱动器等应用,而对于其他一些关键特性亦有显著改进(如表1),另外,器件接口标准支持实现了从ONFI1.0向ONFI2.0的转变(备注:ONFI是Open NAND Flash Interface的缩写,它是由英特尔发起的一个标准联盟,旨在统一行业中所有NAND器件、NAND模组、主机控制器以及驱动软件之间的接口,不过东芝和三星并不买帐,没有加入该联盟,而是另起炉灶,共同制造基于东芝开发的另一种接口标准LBA的NAND闪存产品,也得到了不少下游厂商的支持。)
表1:标准NAND与高速NAND的一些关键特性对比。
芯片供应商积极介入SSD成品供应
美光NAND市场开发总监Kevin Kilbuck透露,他们共有三个300毫米晶圆厂,位于美国Viegina州的工厂已达到100%产能,位于Utah州的另一个工厂在未来几个月也将达到100%产能,而在新加坡新建的工厂将在本月竣工,2009年会增加产能。据悉,英特尔与美光将平分以上所有产能,但各自独立进行产品推广和销售。两大公司的强势进攻无疑将在NAND应用市场有所斩获,对此其他巨头决不可能坐视不管,业内人士都认为,更加激烈的技术和产能竞赛将会在下半年上演。
被视为NAND新机遇的SSD市场自然也会被波及,不过这种影响是积极的,因为将加速SSD价格的下降,推动它的普及。业内普遍预计SSD价格每年下降速度为40-45%。而另一个催化剂就是,除了提供新一代高速闪存芯片给SSD制造商,数得上名的NAND闪存芯片巨头们都在推出自己的SSD产品。以美光为例,目前他们面向笔记本和台式PC市场的1.8和2.5英寸SATA接口SSD产品C200最高容量已达到256GB(基于34纳米闪存器件),基于MLC NAND,连续读取速度为200MB/s,连续写速度为120MB/s。面向对性能要求更高的服务器、工业和网络应用设备市场,美光也推出了基于SLC NAND的2.5英寸SATA SSD产品 P200,连续读取速度达到250MB/s,连续写速度达到250MB/s。据Kilbuck介绍,SLC型产品的耐用年限为10年,MLC型产品能达到5年左右,当然这与主控制器的配合使用也有很大关系。
图5:美光的NAND产品组合简图(注:控制器是搭配其它公司的产品)。
美光没有透露他们采用了哪家公司的主控制器,有业内人士猜测,可能是采用了英特尔的嵌入式控制器,专门针对SSD应用进行了优化,可以节省SATA桥芯片。忆正存储技术(深圳)有限公司资深工程师黄河则表示,为满足设计需要,他们也使用了自己设计的主控制器。
笔者认为,存储器芯片厂商介入SSD成品的供应将会对纯粹的SSD制造商产生一定冲击,不过由于该市场方兴未艾,对每个人来说机会将大于挑战。
作者:赵艳 满足日益增长“户外”存储需求,英特尔将为超级便携式PC提供嵌入固态硬盘上网日期: 2007年12月20日
英特尔公司即将为其超级便携式PC平台嵌入SSD(固态硬盘),旨在满足用户日益增长的“户外”存储需求。Z-P140 PATA固态硬盘将作为一种可选式模块向OEM厂商供给,供它们嵌入在面向Menlow平台的主板上。
Menlow平台面向超级便携式PC,它还包括Silverthorne处理器和Poulsbo芯片组。据英特尔公司的产品经理拉尔森在上周五招开的一次会议上表示,基于Menlow平台的产品将在2008年的上半年上市销售。
这种微型SSD芯片只有0.6克的重量,其容量分别为2GB和4GB。据拉尔森表示,通过将四个这样的SSD芯片连接到一个标准的PATA接口,主板上的存储容量可以扩展到16GB。然而,由于没有机械部件,SSD的能耗低于传统硬盘,因此,它们更适用于便携式设备中。据英特尔公司的营销经理特洛伊表示,Z-P140 PATA的存储容量在两年后将达到64GB。
除此之外,英特尔公司还表示,它计划在明年1月份举行的消费电子产品展会(CES)上展示由华硕、明基、联想等厂商生产的基于Menlow平台的超级便携PC。并于2009年推出Moorestown━━新的超级便携式PC平台。 固态硬盘市场爆发,Jedec将制定行业标准上网日期: 2008年07月23日
主要为DRAM接口制定标准的Jedec组织最近新成立了一个标准小组,为采用NAND闪存芯片的固态硬盘制定标准。JC-64.8委员会将制定用于嵌入式或可移动存储设备的固态硬盘标准,以推动现有存储设备的发展。
该标准小组由Seagate公司的Alvin Cox和Micron的Scott Graham联合担任主席,于5月份举行了首次会议。在2007年8月召开探讨会和对业内公司进行一次调查之后,Jedec联盟决定成立这个标准小组。
据Jedec最近发表声明,委员会将定义“接口标准中所没有包含的推动现有接口标准(命令协议和电气接口)的新参数、机械互连、工作环境、电气特性、可靠性测试方法和操作步骤。这个新的标准小组旨在和相关的Jedec委员会以及其它定义大容量存储标准的协会(包括串行ATA国际组织,USB3.0协会和其它组织)协同工作。
与此同时,另有两个由Intel主导的小组正在着手开发用于满足闪存硬盘要求的闪存芯片和闪存控制器接口标准。非易失性存储主机控制器接口工作组(NVMHCI)于2008年4月宣布此计划,而开放NAND闪存接口小组(ONFI)早在2006年5月就有此计划。
Jedec组织目前仍在吸收会员。Jedec董事会主席Mian Quddus在一份声明中表示,“业界需要集思广益来制定固态硬盘标准,用于使全球市场尽快接受具有最佳性能的SSD产品,使消费者的利益最大化。”
此前不久,Samsung和Sun Microsystems发表了一份联合声明称已合作开发一项针对计算机服务器用闪存驱动的8G单层单元(SLC)新设计。据这两家公司称,他们将NAND闪存芯片的读/写周期提高了五倍。另外,新兴公司Fusion IO和惠普目前正合作开发闪存控制器。
据International Data Corp预测,到2012年固态硬盘产量将达到2.2百万,市场销售额将达到900,000,000美元。目前固态硬盘的市场销售额为260,000,000美元。 利用多级单元技术提升基于NAND的固态硬盘密度上网日期: 2008年05月05日
与传统硬盘相比,SSD具有更低功耗、更快启动时间、更高可靠性、更完善的性能以及无机械噪音等优点。然而,低密度和高价格却一直在妨碍固态技术的继续发展。目前,一些供应商正在试图改变这一局面。
美光科技(Micron Technology)、东芝美国电子元器件(TAEC)和Lexar Media(美光的全资子公司),近期凭借一系列不同外形和容量的产品进军SSD市场。而竞争对手英特尔和三星电子,则各自分别推出了据称是同类产品中体积最小、速度最快的产品。
美光的RealSSD系列SSD产品,容量从1到64GB不等,专为计算、企业服务器以及网络应用设计。美光用于笔记本电脑和台式机的1.8和2.5英寸产品,存储容量在32和64 GB,目前提供样品。
RealSSD系列器件包括固态硬盘、嵌入式USB产品和模块产品。RealSSD固态硬盘具有原生SATA II接口,从而提升了性能。与目前大多产品不同,该系列采用了专为SSD应用而设计的单芯片控制器,而且不再需要SATA桥接芯片。该控制器针对NAND四通道控制进行了优化,并支持诸如原生命令队列(NCQ)等先进的SATA特性,后者允许硬盘识别读和写命令。同时,它还支持SATA热插拔,允许在不关断电源的情况下将硬盘从系统中移除。
美光RealSSD嵌入式USB产品的存储容量范围从1GB到8GB,通过嵌入式USB2.0接口就可以集成到系统中。该产品为在工业PC或刀片服务器系统内存储和导入一个完整操作系统提供了极具成本效益的解决方案,且还可被用作频繁访问文件的备份。
美光的RealSSD模组本质上是一个体积小巧的固态存储器件。该模组采用常用的SATA接口,高为25mm、长为133.5mm、厚不足4mm,据美光介绍,这样的设计是为了加大系统气流从而更好散热。
TAEC以一系列主要面向笔记本电脑的基于NAND闪存的SSD产品,进入该新兴市场。东芝的首批SSD提供32、64和128GB三种容量,分别采用嵌入式模块、1.8英寸及2.5英寸硬盘封装形态。
东芝的SSD整合了一个原始的MLC控制器,它支持快速读/写、并行数据传输和损耗平衡(wear leveling),所达到的性能可媲美单级单元NAND闪存SSD。
通过应用MLC技术,东芝在1.8英寸上实现了128 GB容量。东芝预期,其基于MLC NAND产品线的启动,将加速其固态存储器在笔记本电脑和数码消费产品中的应用。该系列产品使用了56nm工艺制造的NAND闪存存储器,在70.6 x 53.6 x 3.0mm平台上还整合了控制器芯片和DRAM。通过SATA II接口(3Gbps的传输速率),其最大读和写速度分别为100MBps和40MBps,符合高速串行接口速度。其额定工作寿命是一百万小时。
三星也利用其NAND存储器技术能力开发了基于MLC闪存的128GB SSD,并且将在今年推出用于笔记本、台式机以及其他移动应用的1.8和2.5英寸版本。
三星的SSD具有70MBps的数据写速率(三星称,这是业内迄今基于MLC的SSD的最快速度),借助了优化的控制器技术和高效的闪存管理固件技术。其128GB SSD的读数据速率则为100MBps。
三星的128GB SSD将以5mm厚的纤薄标准1.8英寸版本(旨在刺激更薄的超移动PC设计),以及针对移动消费应用的传统1.8英寸版本和用于标准尺寸笔记本电脑的2.5英寸版本三种形势亮相。
三星的128GB SSD带有3Gbps SATA II接口,它利用NCQ和扩展频谱时钟来进一步提升其已经表现不俗的性能。为了达到工作模式下的0.5W低功耗目标,它还具有由设备/主机模式引导的电源管理功能。
三星卓越的损耗平衡技术结合其先进的闪存管理技术,为其基于MLC的SSD提供了高可靠性,该产品的平均无故障时间(MTBF)为一百万小时。
对英特尔来说,进入移动设备市场是个关键。英特尔最近推出了业界最薄SSD之一的Z-P140 PATA SSD,就是特意为手持移动设备而设计的。该产品具有2GB和4GB两种版本,支持行业标准的并行ATA(PATA)接口。它为强化基于英特尔CPU的计算机而进行了优化,而且还将是2008年问世的用于移动互联网设备的英特尔Menlow平台的一个可选部分。
据英特尔介绍,Z-P140是同类产品中体积最小的SSD,所以对移动和超级移动设备的设计师和制造商来说都很有吸引力。它比1.8英寸普通硬盘小400倍、轻75倍(仅为0.6g)。另外,英特尔称,它还更加耐用。
2GB和4GB容量可存储移动操作系统、应用和数据(例如音乐和照片),而且还可以扩展至16GB。
英特尔Z-P140 PATA SSD的读/写速度分别为40MBps和30MBps。其工作时的功耗是300mW,而该器件在休眠模式仅消耗1.1mW功率,从而延长了电池使用时间。
该产品的平均无故障时间为2.5百万小时,其基于PATA的芯片级封装在紧凑占位面积内提供了可靠的固态性能。
英特尔Z-P140目前提供样品,并且即将大规模量产。2GB版本之后,将推出4GB版本。
Lexar Media公司发布了其Crucial SSD产品线,它有32GB和64GB两种版本,采用的是行业标准的2.5英寸硬盘外壳,并且带原生SATA 3Gbps接口。Lexar Media还将提供Crucial SK01外部驱动套件及包括Crucial SSD Advisor工具在内的各种在线客户工具,工程师可从www.crucial.com/ssd和www.crucial.com/uk/ssd网站上下载这些工具。
Crucial SSD没有启动(spin-up)时间、搜索时间或转动延时,从而缩短了系统的启动和应用载入时间。其他特性包括:低功耗(工作时小于2W)、抗冲击(1,500 G/0.5 ms)和抗振动(20G/20-2,000 Hz)、高可靠性(两百万小时的MTBF)以及低延时(小于1ms的读取时间)。
重82g、提供无声运行且工作噪音为零贝尔的SSD,由于没有会导致发热的移动部件,所以工作时不产生热量。在支持热插拔的系统中,无需关断与主计算机的电源连接,就可将SSD从硬盘插槽中拿出。该特性支持直接、灵便的数据安保性能。
作者:苏美妮
计算机设备业2007年4季度报告
全球硬盘出货量继续保持稳定增长
图表:全球硬盘出货量预测(百万个)
硬盘下游各产品未来增长动力如下。
1、台式机:Vista + 亚非空间还很大 2、笔记本:替代台式机增速不减 3、消费电子:便携式设备和DRV、机顶盒等媒体设备正处于快速上升通道 4、企业应用:向数字媒体2.0 时代的过渡导致对视频、图片等数据存储需求的大增 SSD(固态硬盘)短期难撼硬盘主流地位
关于SSD的基本资料,请参见: 图表:SSD性价比预测(美元)
SSD笔记本由于价格限制,估计09年开始放量,2011年占比达35
来源:http://www./、SSD价格是07.9.13 2GB*8 SLC型号价格
SSD难撼HDD(硬盘)主流存储地位 企业盈利能力有望改善,装配环节外包继续扩大 价格战不再激烈,企业盈利能力有望改善
格下降速度趋缓。
因价格战压力减小,硬盘巨头纷纷调高08FYQ1的盈利预测。 图表:Seagate、WD的毛利率增速
硬盘企业盈利能力的提高,有利于放缓对上游供应商的价格压迫。 来源:公司报告
图表:07Q1全球硬盘厂商市场份额 图表:全球EMS/ODM渗透率 外包比例继续加大
HAS业务外包因素在于:
硬盘产业链(横向是工序) 全球HAS竞争格局 受下游硬盘厂商价格压力减轻、HSA 外包比例加大提升定价权的影响,我们认为未来HSA 企业来自下游的压价情况将可能好转,自身盈利能力存在提升的可能。 未来HSA企业盈利能力存在提升的可能
■ SSD取代硬盘的模式
■ 惠普在服务器市场出货量与营收都成为第一名
表一 2008年第一季全球服务器厂商出货量排行 (单位:台 )
■ 2008年第二季PC出货量成长率超乎预期
表一 IDC统计全球2008年第二季PC出货量排行 (单位:千台)
表二 Gartner统计全球2008年第二季PC出货量排行 (单位:千台)
■ 华硕Eee PC推出第二代,挑战更多
英特尔发布小体积Z-P230固态硬盘SSD英特尔公布了最新的固态磁盘型号 Z-P230,这是一个包含40针ZIF接口的PATA存储设备,同时英特尔还公布了一个新的PCIe接口"mini-card"产品,让产品外观变得更小。
英特尔公布了最新的固态磁盘型号 Z-P230,这是一个包含40针ZIF接口的PATA存储设备,同时英特尔还公布了一个新的PCIe接口"mini-card"产品,让产品外观变得更小。 这一产品的尺寸仅仅是1.8英寸的磁盘的1/4,读取和写入速度分别为38/10Mbps,包含4,8,16GB三个版本,发布日期为今年第四季度,这款SSD在性能上并没有优势,但它的优势体现在极低的功耗,所以很适合在廉价笔记本上运用,它全速运行时的功耗仅仅314mW,待机更是只有1.65mW。 业界:SSD试水企业级存储从SSD依旧昂贵的价格、应用的限制等方面综合评估,SSD在企业级存储中的大规模应用还为时尚早。但是还真有很多人愿意顶着高价偏偏选用它们的,这样的用户,都是崇尚环保并且用于尝试的。
在IT消费产品领域,已经有笔记本电脑厂商开始选用SSD(固态硬盘)来替代传统硬盘。从2007年7月IBM宣布在刀片服务器中首次采用SSD,到2008年1月EMC在高端企业级存储产品Symmetrix DMX-4采用SSD,再到2008年6月,Sun在服务器和存储产品中也开始支持SSD,SSD开始登堂入室,从消费产品领域跨入到企业级应用中。但从SSD依旧昂贵的价格、应用的限制等方面综合评估,SSD在企业级存储中的大规模应用还为时尚早。 优缺点都很鲜明 SSD最大的优点就是速度快。SSD的速度至少比传统硬盘快1个数量级(10倍)。这也决定了SSD的应用定位——需要快速处理海量信息的应用,比如电子交易系统、实时数据处理、主机交易处理等,其影响时间可达到毫秒级。EMC中国研发中心副总经理、软件总监李映举例说:“某信用卡公司采用EMC基于SSD的Symmetrix DMX-4存储系统,将过去处理欺诈探测信息的速度提高了6倍。”除了速度快以外,SSD的优势还体现在:SSD的内部没有机械装置,因而不会出现机械故障,而且噪音低、能耗少,其能耗只有传统硬盘的1/5~1/6,符合绿色存储的发展趋势。 在EMC之前,一些存储厂商已经把SSD应用于企业级存储阵列中,比如CURTIS、Qbisys等。SSD突破了传统硬盘的性能瓶颈,并且价格逐渐走低,因而SSD开始从军用系统、高性能计算等领域逐步拓展到商业和企业应用环境。 但是,SSD的缺点也显而易见,最突出的就是价格高。不可否认,SSD的价格正呈逐年下降趋势,但从目前的价格水平看,仍高出传统硬盘数倍。一个1TB的传统硬盘的价格约为550美元,而同样容量的SSD的价格可能超过1万美元。Sun虽然表示将在今年底时推出较低价格的SSD,但也不否认,即便如此,SSD和传统硬盘之间的价格差仍会十分明显。 两种技术各取所需 SSD根据采用的存储介质分为两类:一类采用Flash Memory存储芯片,简称Flash SSD;另一类则采用DRAM Memory存储芯片,简称DRAM SSD。 Flash SSD主要用于消费类电子产品的存储器(如MP3、MP4、数码相机、手机等),也可用于移动存储(如U盘等)或工业标准尺寸的Flash SSD硬盘(如工控环境、军用环境等)。Flash SSD具有优异的读性能,而且Flash Memory是非易失性的存储介质,因此无需电源保护。Flash SSD的缺点在于写性能和耐久性较差。EMC Symmetrix DMX-4存储系统采用的就是Flash SSD。“在企业级存储中采用SSD,主要是为了解决存储性能问题。对于某些高端企业级客户来说,即使再大的缓存也不能从根本上解决存储性能的问题,只有采用SSD取代传统硬盘,才能满足对高存储性能的需求。”CURTIS公司莫桦介绍说,“SSD提供商STEC公司通过技术收购,使其大容量Zeus-IOPS Flash SSD的耐久性得到大幅度提升,并且在几年后500GB的SSD的价格有可能降至2000美元。如果这一天真的到来,那么当今的FC(光纤通道)磁盘就失去了存在的价值,传统磁盘工业将被颠覆。” 作为存储领域的领先者,EMC必须提前对硬盘工业可能发生的巨变做好准备。李映表示:“EMC进入SSD领域是一个慎重的决定,一方面是看到用户有这方面的需求,另一方面也表明EMC对未来发展的判断具有前瞻性。” DRAM SSD采用SDRAM或DDR SDRAM作为存储介质,是易失性存储,所以DRAM SSD需要一直有电源保持供电。一台DRAM SSD设备内部除了I/O接口控制电路和DRAM Memory存储芯片板外,一般还包含为DRAM Memory存储芯片供电的锂电池、纠错电路,甚至还有在供电中断时用来保护DRAM中数据的备份磁盘。DRAM SSD的优点是读写性能同样优异,而且具有高可靠性和耐用性。其缺点是需要始终保持电源供给,以保证数据不丢失。 近年来,Flash Memory存储芯片的容量直线上升,而价格在直线下降。如果有一天,当Flash SSD的价格与同等容量的传统硬盘相差无几时,Flash SSD有可能会全面取代传统磁盘。可以这样说,Flash SSD的市场目标是全面取代磁盘成为在线存储介质,而DRAM SSD的市场目标则是满足高端客户对极高存储性能的需求。 可靠性有待证明 SSD的性能及能耗优势,使得它在企业级存储中的应用开始受到重视。但目前只有EMC、Sun等少数厂商支持SSD,而SSD在普通商业领域中的应用才刚刚兴起,还需要大量的实践证明其可用性和可靠性。Iiluminata的咨询师John Webster表示:“我并不认为人们采用SSD的速度会比其他存储新技术更快。SSD供应商必须证明SSD是可靠的。”李映介绍说:“目前,EMC在SSD产品方面只有一家合作伙伴。经过我们的反复测试,只有这家厂商的SSD产品在可靠性方面能够满足企业级存储的需求。”
朗科发布国内首款SSD固态硬盘日前,全球移动存储领导厂商朗科公司隆重发布了国内第一款采用闪存存储介质的SSD固态硬盘。
日前,全球移动存储领导厂商朗科公司隆重发布了国内第一款采用闪存存储介质的SSD固态硬盘,在业内引起广泛关注。“SSD固态硬盘的出现是存储领域一个划时代的技术革新。从此闪存为介质的固态硬盘开始了它替代传统硬盘的伟大征程。”闪存盘之父,朗科公司总裁邓国顺表示。 朗科公司是国内移动存储厂商中第一个推出SSD固态硬盘的企业,并一直是全球闪存应用的技术先驱。自1999年朗科公司发明全球第一款闪存盘以来,先后在闪存应用及移动存储领域累计申请发明专利达两百余项,覆盖全球几十个国家及地区,迄今已授权的发明专利达35件。 SSD固态硬盘多项技术性能更加优越 相比传统硬盘,SSD固态硬盘拥有明显的速度优势。据悉,朗科这款SSD固态硬盘读取数据的速度达到了180MB/S,写入数据的速度达到了100MB/S,比传统硬盘拥有数倍优势。搭载朗科SSD固态硬盘的笔记本从开机到出现windows XP桌面一共只用了13秒,而搭载传统硬盘的笔记本总共用了31秒,两者差距超过一半。 其次,SSD固态硬盘防震抗摔,数据存储更安全。因为全部采用了闪存芯片作为存储介质,所以SSD固态存储器内部不存在任何机械部件,这样即使在高速移动甚至伴随翻转倾斜的情况下也不会影响到正常使用,而且在笔记本电脑发生意外掉落或与硬物碰撞时能够将数据丢失的可能性降到最小。 另外,SSD固态硬盘功耗小、噪音低、发热量小。工作时静音(固态存储器因为没有机械马达和风扇,工作时噪音值为0分贝),正因为没有传统硬盘磁头与盘体之间的摩擦,因此它的发热量小、散热速度也快。 朗科方面表示,在产品外形和尺寸上SSD完全可以做到与普通硬盘一致,包括2.5"、 1.8"等,甚至可以做得更小。SSD固态硬盘在重量方面更轻,与常规1.8英寸硬盘相比,重量轻20-30克,减少的重量有利于移动设备的便携性。朗科此次推出的SSD固态硬盘是2.5"产品,体积小巧,便于携带。 SSD固态硬盘开始步入商业应用 SSD固态硬盘优越的技术性能很快引起了各大电脑厂商及消费电子产品制造商的极大兴趣。据悉,目前包括三星、英特尔、朗科等厂商都已经发布了自己的固态硬盘。 除了制造领域巨头云集之外,SSD固态硬盘的商业应用也已经迈开步伐。例如2007年下半年,苹果在MacBook Air中就以固态硬盘取代了传统标准型硬盘,华硕2007年推出的Eee PC,也采用了NAND Flash为储存媒介的固态硬盘。 “用户也可以把它单独当作一个系统盘来使用。”朗科方面表示,人们将可以重温从386跳跃到奔腾3.0的感觉。 不过,有业内人士担心,高昂的成本可能是固态硬盘迅速普及的拦路虎。与一个GB级别的容量相当的传统硬盘产品相比,固态硬盘的价格要高出10倍左右。 对此,朗科有关人士表示,闪存芯片的价格历来呈现出指数下降的趋势,2001年8M闪存盘价格是999元,今天8G的闪存盘也不过几百元的价格。大容量SSD固态硬盘的成本未来两年内将大幅度下降,全面普及只是时间问题。 http://storage./446/8262446.shtml
Micron推出读写速度250MB/s 256GB高速SSDMicron科技4号发表了高传输数据的下一代SSD“RealSSD P200”及“RealSSD C200”。现已经出现样品,量产期预订为2008年第四季度。
Micron科技4号发表了高传输数据的下一代SSD“RealSSD P200”及“RealSSD C200”。现已经出现样品,量产期预订为2008年第四季度。
RealSSD P200是适用于企业级的超高速SSD,采用SLC(Single Level Cell)技术,实现了250MB/sec的读写速度。接口为3Gbps传送对应的SATA接口。 消耗功率是0.3~2.5W,与传统硬盘相比仅为十分之一;工作温度为摄氏0~70度,比传统硬盘有更广范围的运转温度。平均故障间隔为200万小时,这一点在企业专门领域非常突出。 此款SSD容量为16GB~128GB,外形尺寸与2.5英寸硬盘相同。 另一方面RealSSD C200是适用于小型的笔记本电脑SSD,由于采用了MLC(Multi Level Cell),能达到250MB/sec的读取速度和100MB/sec的写入速度。接口为3Gbps传送对应的SATA接口。 外形尺寸为2.5英寸硬盘和1.8英寸硬盘2种,容量为2.5英寸的类型最大256GB,1.8英寸类型为32~128GB。
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