Kioxia and SanDisk start 10th-generation 3D flash production at Fab2 in Japan
Kioxia has also begun sampling 332-layer flash chips to AI data center operators, highlighting higher capacity, faster data transfer and improved energy efficiency alongside the production ramp.
Kioxia and SanDisk have begun producing 10th-generation 3D flash memory at the Fab2 site in the Kitakami Plant complex in Iwate Prefecture, Japan, while Kioxia has separately started providing samples of its next-generation chips to AI data center operators. Bloomberg reported on July 4 that the Tokyo-based chipmaker said its 332-layer, 10th-generation 3D flash delivers better energy efficiency and data transfer speeds, with 59% more capacity than its previous flagship 8th-generation chip. The production launch expands advanced capacity at the K2 manufacturing complex, which began operations in September 2025 with eighth-generation 3D flash memory. The companies said both generations use CBA architecture, which bonds CMOS logic and memory arrays to improve density, speed and power efficiency for data-intensive applications including AI. Kioxia and SanDisk have also extended their joint venture through December 2034. Separately, SanDisk shares fell 14.13% to 1,745.00 on July 3, with after-hours trading up 0.98% to 1,762.07.
- 3D flash memory: A type of non-volatile storage that stacks memory cells vertically to increase capacity and improve efficiency.
- CBA architecture: A chip design approach that bonds CMOS logic and memory arrays to improve density, speed and power consumption.
- 332-layer: A flash memory design with 332 vertically stacked layers, aimed at raising storage capacity and performance.