A semiconductor chip (123rf)
South Korean memory chip maker SK hynix and its US NAND flash memory solutions arm Solidigm have launched solid-state drives for data centers, the companies said Tuesday.
The new product, called P5530, is their first collaborative effort since San Jose-based Solidigm‘s SSD business was acquired by the world’s second-largest memory chip manufacturer in December.
P5530 will be a combination of SK hynix‘s 128-layer NAND flash technology with Solidigm’s SSD controller and firmware expertise. SK hynix has started mass-producing 128-layer NAND flash storage units in 2019, and their 2021 shipment grew 60 percent on-year.
The companies said the drives support the PCIe Gen 4 interface and will be available in 1-terabyte, 2-terabyte, and 4-terabyte models.
An SSD is a type of flash memory storage that enables computers to store data without a constant power supply. This stands in comparison with DRAM chips, which require constant power to store information.
SK hynix said it expected to enhance its competitiveness in the NAND flash sector to the same extent as its DRAM business, and aims to attract more enterprise customers. Its revenue from data center SSDs rose sixfold in two years as of 2021, according to its briefing to investors in January.
“With in-time demonstration of the collaborative product based on the combined competence of SK hynix and Solidigm, we aim to not only enhance our NAND flash business competitiveness but also speed up our ‘Inside America’ strategy,” SK hynix President and Chief Marketing Officer Noh Jong-won said in a statement, referring to its commitment to US investment.
At the end of last year, SK hynix completed a $7 billion acquisition of Solidigm, formerly Intel‘s SSD business, and the NAND flash manufacturing facility in Dalian, China, in its first phase of a blockbuster deal that totals $9 billion.
SK hynix aims to complete its takeover of Intel’s remaining NAND business assets, including intellectual properties and operations for research, manufacturing and design of NAND flash wafers, as early as March 2025.
SK hynix also gained media attention last week as Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Park Jung-ho announced tha the company was considering joining a consortium to acquire SoftBank-backed chip design firm Arm at a shareholders meeting in March.
(
consnow@heraldcorp.com)