SK Hynix halves PLC flash cells to cut voltage levels and improve viability

Pcgamer reports that SK Hynix has developed a way to split Penta‑Level Cell (PLC) flash memory cells in two, a change that could make PLC chips commercially viable and help ease rising SSD prices.

Consumer SSDs today typically use TLC or QLC NAND; TLC is faster and more robust while QLC offers greater capacity. PLC aims to store five bits per cell but requires 31 voltage levels, which slows reads and writes, reduces reliability and shortens cell longevity, making PLC unusable so far. SK Hynix’s approach chops each cell in half so each half needs only six voltage levels, and the combination of the two halves’ voltages produces 36 levels — enough for PLC — while each half is more reliable and quicker. Essentially, it’s like jamming two almost‑TLCs into one cell.

The trade‑off is added manufacturing complexity and cost: the split‑cell process and the circuitry to manage it used to cost under $230 and now costs $430. SK Hynix is one of the largest NAND flash makers, second only to Samsung, so its scale may help make the idea commercially viable. The outlet says PLC SSDs are unlikely in gaming PCs any time soon, though strong demand for flash from the AI industry may speed development; if this all comes to fruition within a reasonable time, standard SSD prices could fall back toward more sensible levels.

Key Topics

Tech, Sk Hynix, Plc Flash, Ssd, Nand Flash, Qlc