The Foundation of NAND Cell Structure
Our customers order NAND based on features and application requirements—not cell density—so why spend any time explaining the differences among SLC, MLC, and 3-bit MLC? Because understanding the basics of NAND technology provides valuable insights, such as:
- Why certain types of NAND perform the way they do
- How structure affects performance and price
- Why an aggressive shrink roadmap is paramount to maintaining NAND industry leadership
View our video below to learn how cell density affects performance and features, or view the simple applications chart to see which NAND is right for you.
SLC, MLC, 3-Bit MLC – What’s the Difference?
In this 5-minute, whiteboard video, strategic marketing director Kevin Kilbuck provides a brief description of the technical differences among SLC, MLC, and 3-bit MLC. He also discusses how these products fit into a NAND process roadmap and why 3-bit MLC can be an effective complement to an aggressive shrink roadmap (not a substitute for one). You’ll learn:
- How the cell bit count controls the relationship between die size and density
- Why cell density affects performance and reliability
- Why 3-bit MLC is only suited for specific applications
- How 3-bit MLC can complement an aggressive shrink roadmap
- Why NAND process windows are going to grow in the coming years
Which NAND Should I Choose?
SLC, MLC, and 3-bit MLC delivery inherently different performance, endurance, price, and footprint characteristics, so you should make a careful analysis to determine which is right for your design. The table below provides a simple look at which technologies are typically used in common applications.
| Technology | Cards/USBs | Solid State Disks | Media Players | Cameras (DSC, DVC) | Mobile Handsets | Portable Navigation Devices | Enterprise, Computing, Industrial | Networking |
| Single-Level Cell (SLC) |
X
|
X
|
|
X
|
X
|
|
X
|
X
|
| Multi-Level Cell (MLC) |
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
| MLC 3-Bit/Cell |
X
|
|
X
|
|
|
X
|
|
|
| Serial NAND (SLC) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
X
|
X
|
| Enterprise NAND - SLC |
|
X
|
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
| Enterprise NAND - MLC |
|
X
|
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
| e•MMC™ |
|
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
| MCPs - NAND with DRAM |
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
|
|
View our NAND Solutions Flyer for more information. In it you’ll find:
- List of all NAND products
- Relative comparisons of performance, endurance, complexity, and price
- Full table of recommended applications
Download the NAND Solutions Flyer.
Designing in NAND Flash – Webinar
This webinar is intended for engineers who want to learn more about the architectures, features, and performance aspects of NAND Flash memory. Micron’s Jim Cooke provides an in-depth look at the device technology and challenges associated with MLC NAND Flash, along with comparisons and decision-making criteria for designing with SLC versus MLC NAND Flash. He also discusses several factors that can affect the reliability of your NAND solution and how to best alleviate them.
What you'll learn:
- The key architectural, feature, and performance differences between MLC and SLC NAND Flash
- How ECC fixes design complexities
- Endurance recommendations and methods for reducing program disturb
- Benefits of embedded MMC (e•MMC™) and why it's the next logical step for embedded applications
Download Webinar