Website WCCFTech reports that Micron is coming with 8-bit per cell NAND later this year. This so-called Octa-Level Cell (OLC) NAND would double data density of the current Quad-Level Cell (QLC) NAND. Micron calls the news 'fabricated'.
On the 8th of February this year, WCCFTech published an article with the headline, “EXCLUSIVE: MICRON Plans To Introduce Octa-Level (OLC) NAND In 1H 2019.”
In this article, the author of the story claims to have heard from multiple “sources and stakeholders”, that American chip giant Micron would intend to release Octa Level Cell NAND in the first half of 2019. This new NAND would hold 8 bits per cell and would double data density of the current QLC NAND, which holds four bits per cell.
Storing multiple bits in a single NAND cell means that the controller needs to be able to recognize different voltage levels. Chip manufacturers had to overcome technical challenges to differentiate between voltage levels when they moved from 1-bit Single-Level Cell (SLC) to 2-bit Multi Level Cell (MLC) NAND. Later they achieved 3-bit Tri-Level Cell (TLC) and last year 4-bit Quad-Level Cell (QLC) NAND went in mass production.
The move from SLC to QLC happened in relative small increases of 1 bit per cell. The Octa-Level Cell NAND would totally break with those small 1-bit increases, and would add 4 more bits per cell in a single step. Therefore, many websites question the report from WCCFTech.
However, the website states it stands by its reporting, even after Micron publicly denied the news. The website even added that they heard from a “third memory partner of Micron”, that Micron would indeed plan to release OLC in the first half of 2019.
