Toshiba Launches High Performance Solid State Drives With MLC NAND Flash Memory

Initial Product Family Includes SATA II SSDs in 32GB, 64GB and 128GB

Capacities, In Modules and 1.8-inch and 2.5-inch Form Factors

    TOKYO and IRVINE, Calif., Dec. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Toshiba Corp.
 (Toshiba) and Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. (TAEC)*, its
 subsidiary in the Americas, today announced their entry into the emerging
 market for NAND-flash-based solid-state drives (SSDs) with a series of
 products featuring multi-level cell (MLC) NAND flash memory. Offered in a
 range of form factors and capacities, Toshiba's solid-state drives are
 designed primarily for notebook PCs. They will be showcased at the Consumer
 Electronics Show in Las Vegas, from January 7th to 10th. Samples and mass
 production will follow from the first quarter (January to March) of next
 year.
 
     Moving NAND-based storage architecture forward, Toshiba's first
 solid-state drives offer three capacities: 32 gigabytes(1) (GB), 64GB and
 128GB, in three form factors: an embedded module, and 1.8-inch and 2.5-inch
 drive enclosures. SSDs realize lower power consumption, a faster boot time,
 higher reliability, improved performance and no mechanical sound compared
 to hard disk drives, but market penetration has been held back by low
 densities and high prices. Toshiba's new SSDs integrate an original MLC
 controller supporting fast read-write speed, parallel data transfer, and
 wear-leveling, and achieve performance levels comparable to those of
 single-level cell NAND-flash-based SSDs. By applying MLC technology,
 Toshiba has realized a 128GB capacity in a 1.8-inch form factor. Toshiba
 expects the launch of its MLC NAND-based line-up to speed up the acceptance
 of solid-state memory in laptops and digital consumer products and to widen
 the horizons of the NAND flash market.
 
     The new products utilize NAND flash memory fabricated with 56nm process
 technology, along with controller chips and DRAM, on a 70.6mm (L) x 53.6mm
 (W) x 3.0mm (H) platform. The maximum read speed is 100MB(2) per second,
 and the maximum write speed is 40MB(2) per second with the SATA II
 interface (transfer rate of 3Gbps(3)), which is compliant with a high-speed
 serial interface. The rated operating life is 1,000,000 hours(4).
 
 

 
 
     Outline of the new products
     Capacity      Type           Samples        Start of Mass Production
     32GB
     64GB          Module SATA    Feb., 2008            March, 2008
 
     128GB
     32GB          1.8" SATA
     64GB          2.5" SATA      Apr., 2008             May, 2008
 
     128GB
 
 
 
     Product specification
     Interface      Serial ATA-II (3Gbps)
     Voltage        3.3V (Module, 1.8" type) / 5V (2.5" type)
     Writing speed  Maximum speed 40MB per second (sequential mode)
     Reading speed  Maximum speed 100MB per second (sequential mode)
     Temperature    0 to 70 degrees Celsius
     MTTF           1,000,000 hours
 
 
 
     *About Toshiba Corp. and TAEC    Through proven commitment, lasting relationships and advanced, reliable
 electronic components, Toshiba enables its customers to create
 market-leading designs. Toshiba is the heartbeat within product
 breakthroughs from OEMs, ODMs, CMs, distributions and fabless chip
 companies worldwide. A committed electronic components leader, Toshiba
 designs and manufactures high-quality flash memory-based storage solutions,
 discrete devices, displays, advanced materials, medical tubes, custom
 SoCs/ASICs, digital multimedia and imaging products, microcontrollers and
 wireless components that make possible today's leading cell phones, MP3
 players, cameras, medical devices, automotive electronics and more.
 
     Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. is an independent operating
 company owned by Toshiba America, Inc., a subsidiary of Toshiba
 Corporation, Japan's largest semiconductor manufacturer and the world's
 fourth largest semiconductor manufacturer (iSuppli, World's Top
 Semiconductor Supplier Rankings in 2006). For additional company and
 product information, please visit http://www.toshiba.com/taec/.
 
     Information in this press release, including product pricing and
 specifications, content of services and contact information, is current and
 believed to be accurate on the date of the announcement, but is subject to
 change without prior notice. Technical and application information
 contained here is subject to the most recent applicable Toshiba product
 specifications. In developing designs, please ensure that Toshiba products
 are used within specified operating ranges as set forth in the most recent
 Toshiba product specifications and the information set forth in Toshiba's
 "Handling Guide for Semiconductor Devices," or "Toshiba Semiconductor
 Reliability Handbook." This information is available at
 http://www.chips.toshiba.com, or from your TAEC representative.
 
 

     (1) When used herein in relation to memory density, gigabyte and/or GB
         means 1,024x1,024x1,024 = 1,073,741,824 bytes.   Usable capacity may
         be less.  For details, please refer to specifications.
     (2) Read and write speed may vary depending on the read and write
         conditions, such as devices you use and file sizes you read and/or
         write. (For purposes of measuring read and write speed in this
         context, 1 MB = 1,000,000 bytes).
     (3) For purposes of measuring data transfer rate in this context,
         1 gigabit or Gb = 1,000,000,000 bits.
     (4) The MTTF (Mean Time to Failure) is not a guarantee or estimate of
         product life; it is a statistical value related to mean failure rates
         for a large number of products which may not accurately reflect actual
 
         operation.  Actual operating life of the product may not resemble
         the MTTF.
 
 

SOURCE Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc.