Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. has developed a solid-state drive with a capacity of 122 TB [1].
The development represents a strategic effort to maintain hardware capabilities despite ongoing trade restrictions. By innovating at the packaging level, the company can produce high-capacity storage without relying on specific components restricted by the U.S. government.
To achieve this capacity, Huawei utilized a proprietary die-on-board (DOB) packaging method [1]. This technique allows the company to mount NAND dies directly onto the printed circuit board. This approach enables the firm to cram more NAND dies into a smaller footprint [1].
The move specifically targets the limitations imposed by U.S. export sanctions. These sanctions block Huawei from acquiring high-layer-count 3D NAND chips that incorporate American technology [1]. By avoiding these specific chips and using its own packaging architecture, Huawei can bypass the need for the restricted high-layer-count components.
Standard high-capacity drives typically rely on the vertical stacking of layers within the NAND chips themselves. Huawei's DOB method shifts the focus to how those chips are arranged on the board to maximize storage density. This allows the company to reach the 122 TB [1] threshold using available components that do not trigger sanction violations.
The proprietary technology serves as a workaround for the lack of access to the most advanced semiconductor fabrication processes found in the U.S., and its allies. It demonstrates a shift toward architectural innovation when raw component access is limited.
“Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. has developed a solid-state drive with a capacity of 122 TB”
This development signals a shift in how sanctioned firms approach hardware bottlenecks. Rather than attempting to replicate the physics of high-layer 3D NAND, Huawei is optimizing the physical packaging of existing dies to achieve similar results. This suggests that architectural workarounds may become a primary strategy for Chinese tech firms to maintain parity in data center and enterprise storage capabilities while under U.S. trade restrictions.
