SanDisk Prepares to Start Transition to 24nm

In order to keep up with the advancements in power efficiency and performance, chip makers need to periodically move to more advanced process technologies. SanDisk is right in the middle of its transition to the 32nm manufacturing node, and reports say that it is already seeing high yields. What is more important, however, is that this means its push into the 24nm fabrication process will go as planned. Apparently, SanDisk will manage to, at the very least, match the advancements made by its rivals in this field.

"The ramp of our 32nm technology has progressed well with high yields and productivity. The mix of 32nm technology using X2 and our current-generation X3 architecture was about two-thirds of our total production output. We expect to complete the 32nm transition in the third quarter. This progress, combined with continued usage of X3 is delivering better cost reductions than we expected for the year. [...] Addressing our next generation technology, we are on track to start transitioning to the 24nm node later this year," said Sanjay Mehrotra, the president and chief operating officer at SanDisk, during the quarterly conference call with financial analysts.

For the second quarter that ended on July 4, SanDisk announced total revenues of $1.18 billion, 61% up on-year and 9% higher than during Q1. Net income was of $258 million, or $1.08 per diluted share. Needless to say, these figures are quite encouraging. Still, the company shares production capacity with Toshiba and the latter's major rival already started sampling an advanced MLC (multi-level cell) NAND of its own in April, which supposedly increases productivity by 50% compared to the previous generation.

Also, Micron, along with IM Flash (Micron-Intel joint venture) expressed its intention to migrate to 20nm-class as well. Now that SanDisk has updated the market regarding the status of its 24nm process, it can start on some aggressive marketing of its own, similar to how Intel and Micron did when they began shipping their 25nm product in January. The exact transition to this node will begin later this year.