August 12, 2026

MILPITAS, Calif. and TOKYO, Aug. 12, 2026 — Kioxia Corporation, a subsidiary of Kioxia Holdings Corporation, and Sandisk Corporation today unveiled their new 9th-generation, high-performance 2Tb QLC 3D flash memory technology designed to support the growing storage demands of AI-driven infrastructure. The technology demonstrates how architectural innovation can help storage advance at the fast pace required by AI-driven workloads, while supporting more capital-efficient manufacturing.

Leveraging the companies’ CMOS directly Bonded to Array (CBA) architecture, the new technology combines an advanced CMOS wafer with a proven memory-array platform, along with significant design and device innovation, to deliver performance improvements and enable faster deployment of advanced storage solutions for cloud and data-intensive applications. Compared with the previous 8th-generation 2Tb QLC, the new technology delivers higher write and read bandwidth due to a 6-plane architecture and performance enhancements and better write and read power efficiency. And it also delivers a NAND interface speed of 4.8Gb/s, a 33% improvement over 8th-generation devices.

Chief Technology Officer at Kioxia, Hideshi Miyajima, said, “As AI continues to underpin the advancement of society, its applications are expanding from generative AI to agent-based and physical AI, while the use of data is becoming increasingly diverse and sophisticated. By leveraging its proven memory cell technology together with the latest CMOS technology, Kioxia is accelerating the development of its 9th-generation flash memory. This approach enables us to deliver high performance while keeping investment costs relatively low.”

“The rapid adoption of AI is accelerating the transition of storage interfaces, creating demand for memory technologies that can evolve more quickly than in previous technology cycles,” said Alper Ilkbahar, Chief Technology Officer at Sandisk. “Our 9th-generation QLC technology demonstrates the unique flexibility of CBA, to accelerate innovation by independently advancing CMOS and memory technologies. We are bringing new capabilities to market more quickly with exceptional capital efficiency.”

The introduction of the 9th-generation QLC 3D flash memory technology marks an important milestone in the evolution of the 3D flash memory roadmap and highlights the continued strength of the collaboration between Kioxia and Sandisk. By maximizing the flexibility of their CBA platform, the companies are creating new opportunities for NAND innovation and helping customers address the growing storage demands of the AI era.

About Kioxia

Kioxia is a world leader in memory solutions, dedicated to the development, production and sale of flash memory and solid-state drives (SSDs). In April 2017, its predecessor Toshiba Memory was spun off from Toshiba Corporation, the company that invented NAND flash memory in 1987. Kioxia is committed to uplifting the world with “memory” by offering products, services and systems that create choice for customers and memory-based value for society. Kioxia’s innovative 3D flash memory technology, BiCS FLASH, is shaping the future of storage in high-density applications, including advanced smartphones, PCs, automotive systems, data centers and generative AI systems.

About Sandisk

Sandisk (Nasdaq: SNDK) delivers innovative Flash solutions and advanced memory technologies that meet people and businesses at the intersection of their aspirations and the moment, enabling them to keep moving and pushing possibility forward.

Source: Sandisk