KIOXIA America, Inc. today announced that it has begun sampling new Universal Flash Storage (UFS) Ver. 4.1 embedded memory devices designed for automotive applications. Engineered to meet the rigorous demands of next-generation in-vehicle systems, these new devices deliver significant performance, flexibility, and diagnostic enhancements - powered by KIOXIA's 8th generation BiCS FLASH 3D flash memory technology and in-house designed controller technology.

Available in capacities of 128 gigabytes (GB), 256 GB, 512 GB and 1 terabyte (TB), the new UFS 4.1 devices are designed to fit the needs of infotainment, ADAS, telematics, domain controllers, and vehicle computers. They meet AEC-Q100/1044 Grade 2 standards, supporting case temperature up to 115°C.Elevating the performance from KIOXIA's previous UFS 3.1 generation, the new UFS 4.1 (512 GB) devices deliver:

• Approximately 2.1 times sequential read performance
• Approximately 2.5 times sequential write performance
• Approximately 2.1 times random read performance
• Approximately 3.7 times random write performance

These improvements provide a more responsive user experience in data-intensive automotive environments.

Key features include:

• Compliant with the UFS 4.1 Specification, which includes WriteBooster related extensions such as WriteBooster Buffer Resizing and Pinned Partial Flush Mode, providing better flexibility for optimal performance. UFS 4.1 is backward compatible with UFS 4.0 and UFS 3.1
• Enhanced Diagnostic Capabilities, including a newly added vendor-specific device health descriptor, simplifying device status monitoring and predictive maintenance
• 8th Generation KIOXIA BiCS FLASH 3D flash memory

UFS Ver. 4.1 devices from KIOXIA integrate the company's innovative BiCS FLASH 3D flash memory and a controller in a JEDEC -standard package. KIOXIA's 8th generation BiCS FLASH 3D flash memory introduces CBA (CMOS directly Bonded to Array) technology - an architectural innovation that marks a step-change in flash memory design.

"KIOXIA continues to drive innovation in automotive memory with our new UFS 4.1 devices," said Maitry Dholakia, vice president, Memory Business Unit, KIOXIA America, Inc. "As modern vehicles grow more complex and technologies like AI, multi-gigabit Ethernet and real-time data processing become essential, our UFS 4.1 solutions empower developers to design the next generation of intelligent, responsive vehicles."