SNDK Unveils 33% Faster 3D Flash Memory Technology To Keep Pace With AI Demand

Sandisk and Kioxia pointed to the expansion of AI beyond generative applications into agent-based and physical AI as a key driver of increasingly sophisticated data requirements.

• Sandisk and Kioxia said the approach allows independent development of the two components while accelerating innovation and improving capital efficiency.
• The 9th-generation technology also features a six-plane architecture designed to increase read and write bandwidth.
• The companies said it is intended for cloud and other data-intensive applications, with AI workloads creating increasingly demanding requirements for storage performance and capacity.

Sandisk Corp. (SNDK) and Kioxia on Wednesday unveiled a new 9th-generation 2Tb QLC 3D flash memory technology aimed at the growing storage demands of AI infrastructure.

The companies said the new technology delivers a 33% increase in NAND interface speed versus their previous generation, alongside improvements in read and write performance and power efficiency.

Sandisk shares were up more than 4% in Wednesday’s opening trade.

SNDK’s New NAND Architecture Targets AI Workloads

Sandisk said that the new flash technology uses the companies’ CMOS directly Bonded to Array (CBA) architecture, allowing the CMOS wafer and memory-array wafer to be manufactured separately and then bonded together.

Sandisk and Kioxia said the approach enables them to advance the two components independently, helping accelerate the development of new storage technologies while keeping manufacturing investment more capital-efficient.

The 9th-generation technology also features a six-plane architecture designed to increase read and write bandwidth. The companies said it is intended for cloud and other data-intensive applications, with AI workloads creating increasingly demanding requirements for storage performance and capacity.

“The rapid adoption of AI is accelerating the transition of storage interfaces, creating demand for memory technologies that can evolve more quickly than in previous technology cycles," said Sandisk Chief Technology Officer Alper Ilkbahar.

SNDK, Kioxia See AI Reshaping Storage

The companies pointed to the expansion of AI beyond generative applications into agent-based and physical AI as a key driver of increasingly sophisticated data requirements.

Kioxia CTO Hideshi Miyajima said the company is combining its established memory-cell technology with newer CMOS technology to deliver higher performance while keeping investment costs relatively low.

The companies said the new generation marks a milestone in their 3D flash roadmap and gives customers more options for addressing the storage demands of AI-driven and other data-intensive workloads.

The development highlights the growing role of storage in AI infrastructure, with Sandisk and Kioxia saying their new NAND is designed to meet increasingly demanding data requirements from AI and other data-intensive applications.

The companies also said the CBA architecture enables more capital-efficient manufacturing by allowing CMOS and memory-array technologies to be developed independently.

Sandisk has been increasingly positioning NAND as a critical part of AI infrastructure, arguing that growing inference workloads are driving demand for higher storage capacity, bandwidth and power efficiency.

At FMS 2026 last week, the company highlighted next-generation NAND, High-Bandwidth Flash (HBF) technology and enterprise SSDs designed to address storage requirements across AI workloads.

What Retail Traders Think Of SNDK Stock

Retail sentiment on Stocktwits around SanDisk trended in the ‘extremely bullish’ territory, with message volumes at ‘high’ levels at the time of writing.

SNDK stock is up 457% year-to-date and 2,722% over the past 12 months. The Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) is up 25% over the past 12 months, while the Vanguard Morningstar Growth ETF (VUG) is up 16%.

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