Samsung Electronics, the world leader in advanced memory technology, today unveiled an array of next-generation memory and storage technologies during Flash Memory Summit 2022, held at the Santa Clara (California) Convention Center, August 2-4. In a keynote titled “Memory Innovations Navigating the Big Data Era,” Samsung spotlighted four areas of technological advancement driving the big data market — data movement, data storage, data processing and data management — and revealed its leading-edge memory solutions addressing each field.

Petabyte Storage: Maximizing Server Utilization

To maximize data center efficiency in an increasingly data-driven world, Samsung introduced a next-generation storage technology, ‘Petabyte Storage.’ The new solution will allow a single server unit to pack more than one petabyte of storage, enabling server manufacturers to sharply increase their storage capacity within the same floor space with a minimal number of servers. High server utilization will also help to lower power consumption.

Memory-Semantic SSD: AI- and ML-Optimized Storage

Samsung announced its ‘Memory-semantic SSD’ that combines the benefits of storage and DRAM memory. Leveraging Compute Express Link (CXL) interconnect technology and a built-in DRAM cache, Memory-semantic SSDs can achieve up to a 20x improvement in both random read speed and latency when used in AI and ML applications. Optimized to read and write small-sized data chunks at dramatically faster speeds, Samsung’s Memory-semantic SSDs will be ideal for the growing number of AI and ML workloads that require very fast processing of smaller data sets.

Telemetry: Enabling More Reliable Data Center Management

As SSDs become more widely adopted in data centers, technology to manage these storage drives with the highest degree of reliability is becoming increasingly critical. Samsung’s telemetry technology gathers human-readable metadata from key components inside customers’ SSDs such as NAND flash and DRAM as well as SSD controllers and firmware. Based on this broad set of telemetry information, data centers can detect and prevent any potential problems ahead of time, enabling a more reliable and efficient operation.

Updates to Prior Milestones

Additionally, Samsung informed its keynote audience of important product updates to previously-announced mobile storage and high-performance SSD milestones.

The industry’s first UFS 4.0 mobile storage, developed by Samsung in May, is scheduled to enter mass production this month. The new UFS 4.0 will be a critical component in flagship smartphones that require large amounts of data processing for features like high-resolution images and graphics-heavy mobile games, and will later be used in mobility, VR and AR.

Samsung also announced market availability of two enterprise SSDs. Its PM1743, a CES 2022 Innovation Awards honoree, is the industry’s first PCIe 5.0 SSD, while the PM1653 is the first 24G SAS SSD, both now in mass production. The company further highlighted its paradigm-shifting SmartSSD and CXL DRAM, which have been designed to avoid bottlenecks in current memory and storage architectures.

“The IT industry is facing a new set of challenges brought on by the explosive growth in big data, and this underscores the importance of a robust, cross-industry ecosystem,” said Jin-Hyeok Choi, keynote speaker and executive vice president of Memory Solution & Product Development at Samsung Electronics. “We are committed to developing transformative memory technologies that can bring far-reaching changes in how we move, store, process and manage data for future AI, ML and HPC applications, as we navigate these challenging tides together with industry partners.”

“With the recent proliferation of electric vehicles and the rapid advancement of infotainment and autonomous driving systems, the semiconductor automotive platform is facing a paradigm shift. What used to be a seven to eight-year replacement cycle is now being compressed into a three to four-year cycle, and at the same time, performance and capacity requirements are advancing to levels commonly found in servers,” said Jinman Han, Executive Vice President and Head of Memory Global Sales & Marketing at Samsung Electronics. “Samsung’s reinforced lineup of memory solutions will act as a major catalyst in further accelerating the shift toward the ‘Server on Wheels’ era.”

Advanced features in infotainment systems such as high-definition maps, video streaming and 3D gaming, together with the growing use of autonomous driving systems, have been driving the demand for high-capacity, high-performance SSDs and graphics DRAM throughout the automotive industry.

In 2017, Samsung was the first in the industry to introduce UFS solutions for automotive applications. Today, the company is well-positioned to provide a total memory solution with the new automotive SSD and GDDR6 DRAM.

Samsung’s 256GB BGA SSD controller and firmware are developed in-house for optimized performance, offering a sequential read speed of 2,100 megabytes per second (MB/s) and a sequential write speed of 300MB/s, which are seven and two times faster than today’s eMMC, respectively. Furthermore, the 2GB GDDR6 DRAM features up to a 14 gigabit-per-second (Gbps) data rate per pin. Such exceptional speeds and bandwidth will support complex processing of various multimedia applications as well as large amounts of autonomous driving data, contributing to a safer, more dynamic and more convenient driving experience.

In addition, Samsung’s new automotive solutions meet the AEC-Q100 qualification — the global automotive reliability standard — allowing them to operate stably in extreme temperatures ranging from -40°C to +105°C, which is an especially crucial requirement for automotive semiconductors.

Recently, sensor deployment in autonomous vehicles to continuously monitor immediate surroundings has been increasing, and high-speed processing to interpret and predict this data for safer driving is becoming critically important. By introducing automotive memory solutions previously championed in servers and AI accelerators, Samsung is helping to pave the way for safer autonomous driving.

Having already completed customer evaluations, the new automotive memory products are currently in mass production.

Samsung Electronics, the world leader in advanced memory technology, today unveiled the industry’s first removable memory cards based on the JEDEC Universal Flash Storage (UFS) 1.0 Card Extension Standard*, for use in high-resolution mobile shooting devices such as DSLRs, 3D VR cameras, action cams and drones. Coming in a wide range of storage capacities including 256, 128, 64 and 32 gigabyte (GB), Samsung’s UFS cards are expected to bring a significant performance boost to the external memory storage market, allowing much more satisfying multimedia experiences.

“Our new 256GB UFS card will provide an ideal user experience for digitally-minded consumers and lead the industry in establishing the most competitive memory card solution,” said Jung-bae Lee, senior vice president, Memory Product Planning & Application Engineering, Samsung Electronics “By launching our new high-capacity, high-performance UFS card line-up, we are changing the growth paradigm of the memory card market to prioritize performance and user convenience above all.”

Samsung’s new 256GB UFS removable memory card ─ simply referred to as the UFS card will provide greatly improved user experiences, especially in high-resolution 3D gaming and high-resolution movie playback. It provides more than five times faster sequential read performance compared to that of a typical microSD card, reading sequentially at 530 megabytes per second (MB/s) which is similar to the sequential read speed of the most widely used SATA SSDs. With this UFS card, consumers have the ability to read a 5GB, Full-HD movie in approximately 10 seconds, compared to a typical UHS-1 microSD card, which would take over 50 seconds with 95MB/s of sequential reading speed. Also, at a random read rate of 40,000 IOPS, the 256GB card delivers more than 20 times higher random read performance compared to a typical microSD, which offers approximately 1,800 IOPS.

When it comes to writing, the new 256GB UFS card processes 35,000 random IOPS, which is 350 times higher than the 100 IOPs of a typical microSD card, and attains a 170MB/s sequential write speed, almost doubling the top-end microSD card speed. With these substantial performance improvements, the new 256GB UFS card significantly reduces multimedia data downloading time, photo thumbnail loading time and buffer clearing time in burst shooting mode, which, collectively, can be particularly beneficial to DSLR camera users. To shoot 24 large/extra fine JPEG photographs (1,120 megabyte (MB)-equivalent) continuously with a high-end DSLR camera, the 256GB UFS card takes less than seven seconds, compared to a UHS-1 microSD card which typically takes about 32 seconds, at 35MB/s.

To achieve the highest performance and most power-efficient data transport, the UFS card supports multiple commands with command queuing features and enables simultaneous reading and writing through the use of separately dedicated paths, doubling throughput.

As the leading memory storage provider, Samsung has been aggressive in preparing UFS solutions for the marketplace, while contributing to JEDEC standardization of the Universal Flash Storage 2.0 specification in September 2013 and the Universal Flash Storage (UFS) 1.0 Card Extension standard in March 2016. Following its introduction of the industry-first 128GB embedded UFS chip in January 2015, the company successfully launched a 256GB embedded UFS memory for high-end mobile devices in February of this year. As of earlier this month, Samsung also completed the Universal Flash Storage Association** (UFSA)’s certification program that evaluates electrical and functional specifications for compatibility of a UFS card, and Samsung’s new UFS card products were approved as UFSA-certified UFS cards with the right to use the official UFS logo for the first time in the industry.

*Samsung has taken a leading role in standardization of JEDEC Universal Flash Storage (UFS) 1.0 Card Standard, and filed seven design patent applications to USPTO (US Patent and Trade Office) which the company disclosed to all JEDEC members under the RAND (reasonable and non-discriminatory licensing) condition that allows manufacturers to develop UFS card products without royalty. Royalty payment usually encompasses a significant portion of other types of removable card manufacturing. For more information, please visit http://www.jedec.org/news/pressreleases/jedec-publishes-universal-flash-storage-ufs-removable-card-standard/

**UFSA announced the release of a Universal Flash Storage (UFS) Compliance Test Matrix (CTM) in April, 2016. For more information, please visit https://ufsa.org/

Samsung Electronics, the world leader in advanced memory technology, announced that it is now mass producing the industry’s first 256-gigabyte (GB) embedded memory based on the Universal Flash Storage (UFS) 2.0 standard, for next-generation high-end mobile devices. The newly introduced embedded memory features outstanding performance for mobile devices that exceeds that of a typical SATA-based SSD for PCs.

“By providing high-density UFS memory that is nearly twice as fast as a SATA SSD for PCs, we will contribute to a paradigm shift within the mobile data storage market,” said Joo Sun Choi, Executive Vice President, Memory Sales and Marketing, Samsung Electronics. “We are determined to push the competitive edge in premium storage line-ups – OEM NVMe SSDs, external SSDs, and UFS – by moving aggressively to enhance performance and capacity in all three markets.”

The new Samsung UFS memory satisfies needs for ultra-fast speed, large data capacity and compact chip size in high-end smartphones. It is based on the company’s most advanced V-NAND flash memory chips and a specially-designed high-performance controller. The UFS memory handles up to 45,000 and 40,000 input/output operations per second (IOPS) for random reading and writing respectively, over two times faster than the 19,000 and 14,000 IOPS of the previous generation of UFS memory.

For sequential reading, the 256GB UFS takes advantage of two lanes of data transfer to move data at up to 850MB/s, which is nearly twice as fast as a typical SATA-based SSD used in PCs. In terms of sequential writing, it supports up to 260MB/s, which is approximately three times faster than high-performance external micro SD cards.

As a result, the new 256GB UFS memory is capable of supporting seamless Ultra HD video playback and multitasking functionality on large-screen mobile devices, such as watching 4K Ultra HD movies on a split screen, while searching image files or downloading video clips. Its 256GB capacity also allows an unmatched amount of data storage on the mobile device itself. For example, one 256GB UFS chip can store about 47 full HD movies, therefore enabling much greater flexibility in handheld consumer electronics.

In addition, with the advent of next-generation smartphones that support the USB 3.0 interface, users will be able to transfer data much faster between mobile devices. The USB 3.0 interface will allow sending a 5GB-equivalent Full-HD video clip (average 90-min. movie size) in 12 seconds. Within this new storage environment, mobile users will get to take full advantage of the performance benefits of Samsung’s latest UFS memory.

Using Samsung’s advanced memory technology, the new UFS memory chips are extremely compact, even smaller than an external micro SD card, giving greater flexibility to smartphone designers.

Samsung announced availability of its 128GB UFS memory in February of last year. In only a year, it has doubled the capacity and speed of UFS memory, which should spur further growth of the mobile marketplace. Samsung will extend its premium storage line-ups that are based on its advanced V-NAND flash memory including the new 256GB UFS, and increase their production volume in line with increases in global demand.

8GB? 16GB? 32GB? 64GB? 128GB?!! We just can’t seem to get enough. With better cameras and displays – which mean more selfies, bigger pictures and more videos – memory has been a growing priority when consumers shop for new mobile and tablet devices.

Naturally Samsung, the world leader in advanced memory technology, has been working vigorously to develop solutions to equip users with the ability to store as many images, videos and other media, as well as the capability to multitask on the device without jeopardizing the integrity of basic functionality is imperative.

Typically, smartphone and tablets have been using eMMCs (embedded multi-media cards) to store information. And today, we announced the mass production of the industry’s first 128GB embedded memory solution based on Universal Flash Storage (UFS) 2.0 standard.

First, what is eMMC?

eMMC, or embedded multimedia card, is an advanced, managed NAND flash memory for mobile applications and still is the dominant go-to memory solution for many consumer electronics, including tablets, smartphones, GPS systems, eReaders, and other mobile computing devices.

(“Managed” here means that it’s a solution consisting not only of NAND flash memory, but also controller/interface circuits to help sort out processes and improve performance.)

Samsung eMMC memory is extremely compact, typically smaller than a postage stamp, allowing for smaller and thinner devices. Leading manufacturers have favorited Samsung’s eMMC memory because it allows for a smooth pathway to elegant and advanced mobile designs with a short time to market. The latest standard, eMMC 5.1, even furthered the performance and power efficiency.

Then what is UFS?

UFS is the future of Flash memory. UFS 2.0, the most advanced JEDEC standard, offers sequential read/write speeds fast enough to rival SSDs while combining it with the low power consumption of eMMC.

With Samsung’s highly intelligent controller and firmware that provide the highest level of performance and quality, consumers will now have access to a better overall user experience. Along with faster booting, the next generation of flash storage offers a faster data input/output response, three times faster file copy, and three times the multitasking capability. To the average consumer, this means watching high-quality videos, playing high bandwidth games and other entertainment, along with running multiple applications, and downloading or uploading files, all without interruption in functionality.

eMMC vs UFS

UFS boasts a substantial improvement in performance. There are two main factors that contribute to this.

First, UFS has a LVDS(Low-Voltage Differential Signaling) serial interface which has separately dedicated read/write paths. This allows full duplex(two-way interaction) – in other words UFS can read and write simultaneously. eMMC, on the other hand, has a parallel interface which can only send data in one direction at a time – it can either read or write, not at the same time.

Second, UFS has a Command Queue(CQ), which sorts out the commands that needs to be carried out. Thus, multiple commands can be addressed at the same time and the order of tasks can be changed accordingly. eMMC, without CQ***, needs to wait for a process to be completed before moving on to the next one.

The combination of these two, along with Samsung’s engineering feats allows Samsung’s UFS 2.0 solution have a sequential read speed, sequential write speed, random read speed and random write speed each 1.40, 1.66, 2.71, 1.07 times faster, respectively, than eMMC 5.0.

The Evolution of Flash Memory

Ever since its first introduction in 1984, flash memory has come a long way – from the humble thumb drive that so many of us still use, to SD and micro SD cards that have become a vital part of our digital imaging and mobile experiences, to the smart and sleek SSDs that are quickly replacing HDDs, to eMMCs that virtually define how much we can store in our pockets. Samsung has been shaping this industry, topping the NAND flash memory market since 2002 and producing many firsts thereafter.

20-plus years of constant leadership in semiconductor technology now enabled Samsung to be the first and currently only manufacturer to mass produce UFS solutions, and these UFS solutions are expected to bring about a dramatic change in the industry.

Samsung is constantly innovating NAND Flash technology, and is working to build industry-leading products that provide the highest level of performance and quality. What kind of solution would you want on your device? What would you like to see in the future? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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Playing a Critical Role in Growing the Market for Wearables (Voices at Samsung Semiconductor)

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* Speed refers to those of Samsung products based on respective standards

** Based on typically used micro SD cards. Actual performance may vary by speed class and maker.

*** Samsung’s eMMC5.1 also features CQ(Command Queue), which contributes to the improvement from eMMC5.0

**** Maria Yoon (Global Communications, Device Solutions, Samsung Electronics) contributed to this article.