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At FMS 2026, Kioxia displayed a 1Tb TLC BiCS FLASH Generation 10 wafer described as using CBA technology and having 332 layers. SanDisk showed BiCS FLASH Generation 8 at wafer and microscope scale. The displays reveal how NAND looks at several physical scales, but they do not establish that either sample is inside a particular retail SSD.
What is BiCS NAND?
BiCS is the NAND flash technology identified in the FMS 2026 demonstrations by Kioxia and SanDisk. NAND flash stores data in memory cells and is commonly packaged for use in SSDs and other devices. That connection explains why the microscopic structures matter to storage hardware; it does not identify a retail product using the silicon shown at the event.
What Kioxia showed: BiCS FLASH Generation 10
Kioxia displayed a Generation 10 wafer described as 1Tb TLC NAND built with CBA technology and a 332-layer count, according to ServeTheHome’s October 2, 2026 report. Those figures apply to the Kioxia Gen 10 wafer in that coverage; it does not explain CBA or specify a layer-counting convention.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsKioxia also showed a die cross-section and a microscope view. Visible offsets in the stacked structure make the layered construction easier to see, while the package balls in the image offer a physical sense of scale. The coverage presents these as visual details, not as measurements of performance or manufacturing yield.
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What SanDisk showed: BiCS FLASH Generation 8
SanDisk displayed a BiCS FLASH Generation 8 wafer and a microscope-opened package. The photographs show package wiring and a view of the cells. ServeTheHome does not state a capacity or layer count for the SanDisk Gen 8 display, so the Kioxia Gen 10 figures should not be applied to it.
How the two demonstrations compare
| Display | What was shown | Specifications reported |
|---|---|---|
| Kioxia BiCS FLASH Generation 10 | Wafer, die cross-section, and microscope view | 1Tb TLC, CBA technology, and 332 layers (ServeTheHome, October 2, 2026) |
| SanDisk BiCS FLASH Generation 8 | Wafer and microscope-opened package, including wiring and cells | Capacity and layer count not stated (ServeTheHome, October 2, 2026) |
This is a comparison of the reported exhibition displays, not a head-to-head product test. The coverage gives no basis for ranking the generations by speed, density, availability, endurance, power use, or cost.
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What the close-ups do—and do not—tell you
The wafer, cross-section, and microscope images let readers see NAND at wafer, die, and package scale. They do not show that a named retail SSD contains the displayed silicon. ServeTheHome reports no measured throughput, endurance, power, or price for either sample and does not establish when either will appear in a commercial drive.
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