Samsung's New Automotive SSD is First Based on 8th-Generation V-NAND

Samsung’s AM9C1, the first PCIe 4.0 automotive SSD based on eighth-generation vertical NAND (V-NAND), is said to have industry-leading speeds and enhanced reliability. The new SSD is well-suited for on-device AI capabilities in automotive applications.

According to the company, the part offers 50% improved power efficiency compared to its predecessor, the AM991. The 256-GB SSD also will deliver sequential read and write speeds of up to 4,400 and 400 MB/s, respectively.

“We are collaborating with global autonomous-vehicle makers and providing high-performance, high-capacity automotive products,” said Hyunduk Cho, Vice President and Head of Automotive Group at Samsung Electronics’ Memory Business. “Samsung will continue to lead the Physical AI memory market that encompasses applications from autonomous driving to robotics technologies.”

New SSD Makes the Switch from TLC to SLC

Built on Samsung’s 5-nm controller and providing a single-level-cell (SLC) Namespace feature, the AM9C1 provides easier access to large files. Namespace claims to deliver an SLC partition with better performance and reliability than triple-level cell (TLC), enabling users to configure it in accordance to data type.

By switching from its original TLC state to SLC mode, users can boost read and write speeds to 4,700 and 1,400 MB/s, respectively, while also benefiting from the added reliability of SLC SSDs. However, when switched to SLC mode, capacity decreases to one-third that of the TLC.

According to Samsung, the 256-GB AM9C1 is currently being sampled by its key partners. The supplier is expected to begin mass production by the end of this year.

Coming Soon: Storage Capacities to 2 TB

In the works are plans to offer multiple storage capacities for the AM9C1, ranging from 128 GB to 2 TB, to address the growing demand for high-capacity automotive SSDs. The 2-TB model, which is on track to offer the industry’s largest capacity in this product category, will start mass production early next year.

The new SSD satisfies the automotive semiconductor quality standard AEC-Q100 Grade 2, ensuring stable performance over a temperature range of −40 to 105°C.

In terms of durability and stability to meet the standards of the automotive industry, Samsung conducts various quality-assurance procedures. The company received Automotive Software Process Improvement and Capability dEtermination (ASPICE) CL3 authentication for its UFS 3.1 product in March of this year.

ASPICE and ISO/SAE 21434 Certification

ASPICE is a software development standard developed and distributed by the German Automotive Association (VDA) that evaluates the reliability and competence of automotive component manufacturers’ software-development processes. It’s divided into Capability Level (CL) stages 0 to 5, with CL3 meaning that an organization has established a systematic process and can effectively execute it.

In an effort to obtain Cyber Security Management System (CSMS) certification based on ISO/SAE 21434, Samsung will continue to actively enhance the technological reliability and stability of its automotive solutions. CSMS certification is an international standard designed to enhance cybersecurity in the automotive industry based on ISO/SAE 21434, covering cybersecurity processes and requirements from design to development, evaluation, and mass production.

“ASPICE and ISO/SAE 21434 certifications are milestones that affirm the reliability and stability of our technology,” said Hwaseok Oh, Executive Vice President at Samsung Electronics’ Memory Business.

Earlier, Samsung announced that it was targeting the general AI market through mass production of its 1-TB quad-level-cell (QLC) 9th-generation V-NAND. QLC is a form of NAND cell organization with four bits per cell. This follows the industry’s first triple-level-cell (TLC) 9th-generation V-NAND production from Samsung in April this year.

The company plans to expand applications of the QLC 9th-generation V-NAND, starting with branded consumer products and extending into mobile Universal Flash Storage (UFS), PCs, and server SSDs for customers, including cloud service providers.