# A Petabyte in the Palm of My Hand - Kioxia Factory Tour Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivLvsTnp9fI Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/ivLvsTnp9fI Generated: 2025-12-15T18:42:36.197+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview Kioxia manufactures incredibly dense 3D NAND flash memory chips using advanced processes like Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) and CMOS Directly Bonded to Array (CBA) technology, culminating in a single wafer containing 8TB memory devices, which are then precisely diced and assembled using automated, ultra-clean manufacturing lines protected by seismic dampening foundations. **Key Points:** - The video tours Kioxia's advanced semiconductor fabrication facilities, showcasing the production of high-density 3D NAND flash memory devices. - Kioxia utilizes 32 stacked 2TB QLC dies, bonded using CBA technology, to achieve massive storage capacities like 8TB on a single memory device. - The fabrication process relies on extremely clean environments (Class 1000/Sub-Fab) where air is filtered top-down, and waste gases are managed using specialized scrubbers. - The 300mm silicon wafers, which cost a hectare of land in value, undergo complex processes including PECVD for layering and laser etching for marking individual dies. - The assembly process uses incredibly small gold wires (thinner than a human hair) for bonding, and tiny solder balls (0.03mm) for connecting the stacked dies to the substrate. - The facility is protected by seismic isolation bearings underneath the building, allowing the structure to move up to 60cm horizontally during an earthquake. - The overall manufacturing process prioritizes extreme precision and cleanliness, using automated equipment for tasks like solder paste application and visual inspection to ensure high quality and yield. ![Screenshot at 0:17: The host holds several Kioxia LC9 SSDs, illustrating that just four of these 245TB drives are needed to equal one petabyte of storage, emphasizing the extreme density of the memory being produced.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/ivLvsTnp9fI/00-00-17.png) **Context:** This video provides an in-depth, sponsored tour of a Kioxia semiconductor fabrication plant in Japan, focusing on the advanced technology required to produce their high-density BiCS FLASH 8th generation 3D NAND memory chips. The host, Linus Sebastian, contrasts the complexity of flash memory manufacturing with everyday items and highlights Kioxia's engineering solutions for achieving unprecedented storage density and environmental sustainability, such as massive solar panel arrays and seismic isolation systems. ## Detailed Analysis The video documents a tour of a Kioxia semiconductor fabrication plant, revealing the complexity behind creating high-density 3D NAND flash memory, specifically the BiCS FLASH 8th generation. The host first demonstrates the scale of storage, showing that four 245TB SSDs equal one petabyte, and holds up several Kioxia LC9 Enterprise SSDs. The tour moves into the manufacturing process, starting with the raw material: pure silicon ingot grown from molten silicon in a crucible. This ingot is sliced into 300mm wafers, which are then processed through numerous steps within ultra-clean environments (Sub-Fab, Sub-Sub-Fab) where air quality is strictly controlled, less than one foreign particle per cubic meter. Key technologies highlighted include Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) to build up 188 layers of storage, and CMOS Directly Bonded to Array (CBA) technology, where the CMOS circuit layer is bonded directly to the memory cell array using a thin layer of copper, enabling greater density. The immense value of a single wafer—costing a hectare of land—necessitates minimizing defects. After processing, the wafer is diced using a laser, and the resulting dies are connected to the substrate using microscopic gold wires (thinner than human hair) and solder balls. The final assembly stage involves placing these dies onto PCBs using high-speed pick-and-place machines and reflowing the solder in a long reflow oven with 10 temperature zones. The entire building rests on nearly 400 seismic isolation bearings, allowing it to shift up to 60cm horizontally during earthquakes to protect the sensitive equipment and processes within the highly controlled environment. ### Manufacturing Scale and Density - Kioxia achieves 8TB per memory device through 32 stacked 2TB QLC dies; one 300mm wafer yields an immense amount of data. ### Advanced Fabrication Techniques - The process uses PECVD for stacking 188 layers and CBA technology for bonding CMOS circuits directly to the array, enabling high density. ### Cleanroom Environment - Manufacturing occurs in ultra-clean environments (Class 1000/Sub-Fab) with top-down HEPA filtered air flow, minimizing contamination that could ruin costly wafers. ### Wafer Processing Details - Wafers are processed through thousands of steps, including laser etching and die bonding using microscopic gold wires and solder balls (0.03mm). ### Facility Resilience - The entire factory structure rests on approximately 400 seismic isolators, allowing up to 60cm of horizontal movement to survive earthquakes. ### Water Reclamation - Kioxia's water treatment system reclaims 90% of water used, producing water clean enough to support fish in an outdoor pond. ### Assembly and Inspection - Final assembly involves using pick-and-place machines to mount components and subsequent machine vision inspection to catch defects before final packaging. ![Screenshot at 0:00: Host standing outside the Kioxia facility holding several SSDs.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/ivLvsTnp9fI/00-00-00.png) ![Screenshot at 0:04: Visual graphic showing 40+ SSDs laid out to represent one petabyte of storage, weighing 160 lbs.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/ivLvsTnp9fI/00-00-04.png) ![Screenshot at 0:31: Animation detailing the 32 stacked 2TB QLC Dies used in the memory structure.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/ivLvsTnp9fI/00-00-31.png) ![Screenshot at 0:58: Aerial view of the Kioxia facility roof covered extensively with solar panels for green energy goals.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/ivLvsTnp9fI/00-00-58.png) ![Screenshot at 1:36: Host holding a large, highly polished silicon wafer, the foundation of semiconductor manufacturing.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/ivLvsTnp9fI/00-01-36.png)