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Western Digital, Toshiba Memory Partner on 3D Flash Memory Facility in Japan
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Western Digital and Toshiba Memory have cut the ribbon on a new facility in Yokkaichi, Japan, one dedicated to the development of flash memory manufacturing, the companies announced.
The semiconductor fabrication facility, dubbed Fab 6, began mass production of 96-layer 3D flash memory products earlier this month, in a bid to meet growing demand for data centers, enterprise servers, and smartphones.
Additionally, located adjacent to the facility, is a Memory R&D Center, which kicked off operations earlier this year. That facility is dedicated to tackling new advances in the development of 3D flash memory, the companies said.
“We are pleased to be opening Fab 6 and the Memory R&D Center with our valued partner Toshiba Memory. For nearly two decades, the successful collaboration between our companies has fostered growth and innovation of NAND flash technology,” said Steve Milligan, CEO of Western Digital. “We are ramping production of 96-layer 3D NAND to address the full range of end market opportunities from consumer and mobile applications to cloud data centers. Fab 6 is a cutting-edge facility that will enable us to further our technology and cost leadership position in the industry.”
Dr. Yasuo Naruke, president and CEO of Toshiba Memory, added: “We are excited about opportunities to expand the market for our latest generation of 3D flash memory. Fab 6 and Memory R&D Center enable us to maintain our position as a leading player in the 3D flash memory market. We are confident that our joint venture with Western Digital will allow us to continue producing leading edge memories at Yokkaichi.”
