Past and Future of 3D Flash

It has been several years since 3D Flash has displaced 2D Flash as the mainstream technology for NAND devices. The transition from 2D to 3D will continue to shape the industry for many years to come particularly due to the switch from lithography centric 2D shrinks to 3D stacking. This change brought a significant increase in complexity during development and manufacturing of advanced devices. The paper reviews in detail the emergence of 3D Flash, the continuous increase in productivity and performance resulting from the transition to 3D Flash and gives an outlook for future challenges and innovations needed.