Intel and Micron achieve breakthrough 10TB solid-state drive

In the notebook computer industry, solid-state drives (SSDs) based on flash memory technology are gradually replacing relatively backward mechanical hard disk technology. However, solid-state drives still have some shortcomings in storage capacity.

However, Intel Corporation and Micron Technology recently announced a major breakthrough in the field of solid-state drive technology, which can expand the storage capacity of solid-state drives tenfold, making 10TB solid-state drives a reality.

Led by Apple, the notebook computer industry is moving towards ultra-light and ultra-thin. At a recent spring new product launch, Apple announced that it would redefine the notebook computer and launched a new design of the MacBook, which is said to be the thinnest in history. One of the driving factors for the ultra-thin notebook computer is the abandonment of the old mechanical hard disk and the adoption of solid-state hard disk.

However, if consumers switch to solid-state drives, they will still have to pay some price in terms of storage capacity and purchase cost.

According to the US technology news website "Wired", Micron Technology and Intel jointly announced that they have developed a new 3D NAND technology. In this solid-state drive, flash memory storage units can be stacked vertically to increase the density of flash memory chips and expand storage capacity.

It is reported that in the past, solid-state drive technology could only "squeeze" more flash memory storage units in the plane direction, and this technology has almost reached its limit in terms of flash memory density and storage capacity. Therefore, Intel and Micron's technological breakthroughs come at the right time.

If technological innovation is translated into a language that consumers can understand, then, relying on new technology, a 2.5-inch square solid-state drive will be able to store up to 10TB of data, while relying on today's technology, a solid-state drive of the same size can only store a maximum of 1TB (1024GB) of data.

In ultra-light and ultra-thin notebooks, computer manufacturers generally use smaller solid-state drives, so their storage capacity can be expanded to 3.5TB, which is much higher than the 512GB capacity seen on the market today.

This is good news for consumers, but it will also be "costly" news.

Intel and Micron Technology said that compared with traditional solid-state drives, 3D NAND technology can achieve lower costs. However, compared with traditional mechanical hard drives, the cost of solid-state drives is still high.

For example, if Apple's MacBook Air notebook is replaced with a 256GB version from a 128GB version, consumers will have to pay an extra $200. And these current storage capacities are only a fraction of the capacity provided by Intel's new technology.

Micron Technology and Intel reportedly said they would use the new technology to manufacture new solid-state drives around the end of this year, so consumers may be able to buy high-capacity solid-state drives as early as next year.

In addition to laptops, the advancement of SSD technology will also benefit mobile devices such as tablets. As we all know, the battery life of mobile devices has become an indicator that consumers pay close attention to. If the capacity density of SSDs is increased, it means that their size and volume can be further reduced. Device manufacturers can use more space inside mobile devices to configure lithium batteries, which will increase the battery life of mobile devices.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.