Micron Technology today introduced the industry's smallest 128-gigabit (Gb) NAND flash memory device utilizing its 20-nanometer (nm) process technology.

The new 128Gb device stores three bits of information per cell, called triple-level-cell (TLC), creating a highly compact storage solution.

Measuring 146mm2, the new 128Gb TLC device is more than 25 percent smaller than the same capacity of Micron's 20nm multi-level-cell (MLC) NAND device. The 128Gb TLC device is targeted at the cost-competitive removable storage market (flash cards and USB drives), which is projected to consume 35 percent of total NAND gigabytes in calendar 2013. Micron is now sampling the 128Gb TLC NAND device with select customers; it will be in production in calendar Q2.

Micron is presenting a paper on the 128Gb TLC NAND device at the upcoming International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) on Feb. 19, in San Francisco, California.