Micron G11 NAND doubles density to 42 Gb/mm2 by 2027

42 Gb/mm2. That is the storage density Micron plans to achieve with its G11 3D NAND flash by late 2027. The figure represents a doubling of the capacity per square millimeter compared to the company's current G9 generation, which operates at approximately 21 Gb/mm2 in triple-level-cell form.

Input/output speeds will rise by up to 50 percent, jumping from 3,600 MT/s to 5,400 MT/s. Simultaneously, the energy required to transfer each bit will drop by more than 25 percent. These improvements aim to support high-capacity solid-state drives for data centers and clients, as well as storage devices tailored for artificial intelligence workloads that require high bandwidth and low power consumption.

Micron will implement wafer-on-wafer bonding to create the G11 chips. This method allows engineers to manufacture the NAND array and the peripheral circuitry on separate wafers, optimizing each for its specific function before bonding them together. While Micron has used CMOS-under-array designs in previous generations, bonding provides greater flexibility to fine-tune the memory array and logic independently. Chinese rival YMTC already uses this bonding approach.

Scott DeBoer, Micron's president and chief technology and products officer, stated that the company had waited for the technology to become cost-effective before adoption. "This is the right timing for that technology," DeBoer said at an industry event this week. He described G11 as the world's most advanced NAND and confirmed the use of wafer-on-wafer bonding.

The new design will feature more than 400 layers, though Micron has not disclosed the exact number of active wordlines or memory decks. The company claims the design will hold an industry-leading memory cell pitch. Micron expects to release further technical details in 2027, closer to the start of high-volume production in the second half of that year.

Looking beyond G11, Micron intends to continue scaling in all three dimensions. The company is developing high-mobility materials and ultra-dense cell architectures to improve transistor characteristics and reduce energy needs. DeBoer noted that the focus remains on new materials and densifying cell architecture, adding that the industry continues to scale by adding layers and shrinking cell dimensions.

Micron has not disclosed architectural specifics or production schedules for generations following G11. The company projects that demand for NAND-based storage will remain strong, keeping the race for higher layer counts active in the coming years.