characterization

The new order from a Taiwanese NAND controller manufacturer demonstrates the value of dedicated NAND characterization equipment in a mature and highly competitive semiconductor market.

NplusT is pleased to announce a significant new purchase order from a Taiwanese semiconductor company developing NAND flash memory controllers for its NanoCycler NAND characterization and reliability testing platform.

Taiwan is one of the world’s most advanced and competitive semiconductor markets, with highly experienced engineering teams, demanding technical requirements, and well-established testing solutions.

For NplusT, this order represents an important commercial milestone. It demonstrates that NanoCycler can successfully compete even in mature markets where customers already have established testing methodologies and equipment.

Why Do NAND Controller Manufacturers Need Independent Characterization Equipment?

Many NAND controller manufacturers develop their own testing solutions based on their controllers. This is a natural approach, leveraging their existing hardware and software expertise and allowing them to evaluate NAND devices in conditions representative of their final applications.

However, there is a fundamental difference between a controller optimized for high-volume production and equipment specifically designed for NAND characterization and reliability evaluation.

A commercial NAND controller must optimize silicon area, cost, performance, and power consumption. Dedicating significant silicon resources to specialized testing functions that are unnecessary in the final product is generally not economically justified.

A dedicated characterization platform such as NanoCycler offers much greater flexibility in controlling NAND operations, signal timings, test sequences, and supply voltages, together with precise temperature control and power measurement.

These capabilities are particularly valuable during NAND technology evaluation, controller development, and reliability investigations, where understanding device behavior beyond normal operating conditions is essential.

Rather than replacing controller-based testing, dedicated characterization equipment complements it, providing additional visibility and control at the NAND device level.

Strengthening NplusT’s Presence in Asia

This new order represents another important validation of NanoCycler’s value for NAND controller manufacturers and reinforces NplusT’s position as a supplier of specialized memory characterization and reliability testing solutions.

It also further strengthens NplusT’s presence in Asia, where advanced semiconductor development continues to drive demand for flexible, high-performance testing platforms.

NplusT looks forward to expanding its relationships with Taiwan’s semiconductor industry and supporting customers in the development of next-generation NAND-based products.

NplusT is pleased to announce the delivery of a NanoCycler to a customer in the United States. The equipment will be deployed to characterize NAND memory devices, configured to support the specific requirements of radiation testing and aerospace qualification.

The order underscores NanoCycler’s proven capability to deliver highly accurate, package-level characterization data—covering aging, endurance, retention, timing, and power profiling—under the demanding conditions required by mission-critical aerospace systems. Its fully independent per-package test architecture allows engineers to tailor test flows precisely to radiation and environmental test protocols, making it a natural fit for space and defense-grade qualification work.

Tamas Kerekes, President and CEO of NplusT, comments: “The project is another important milestone of our activities for the aerospace industry, started with a project launched in 2025 with ESA, PCB Design and Thales, and now reaching its final stage. This new delivery confirms the relevance of our technology for radiation testing and aerospace-grade qualification, and reflects the growing international recognition of NanoCycler as a reference NAND characterization platform.”

We are pleased to announce a new release of the NanoCycler library, delivering significant performance improvements for NAND BER (Bit Error Rate) collection and datalog generation.

Over time, we identified that one of the main performance limitations of the Python library was the time required to calculate NAND page bit errors and generate the associated datalog. This overhead could have a noticeable impact on total execution time, particularly for complex test flows.

With WS version 4.3.3, NanoCycler now includes native, integrated datalog support, substantially accelerating failure collection and reducing overall execution time by more than 3×.

For example, a complete TLC block of approximately 2,000 pages, tested across all Read Retry entries, now takes approximately:

20 seconds → 6 seconds

This optimization applies broadly to operations that require NAND BER extraction and generation of test log reports.

The result is faster test execution, more efficient failure analysis, and improved productivity for NAND characterization and reliability testing.

NplusT has successfully delivered another TESTMESH TMA-100 characterization system to a leading semiconductor company developing advanced RRAM memristor technology, using it both for embedded storage and for analog in-memory computing (IMC) applications.
The delivery includes the first hardware and software extension based on the new TESTMESH Extension Unit architecture. The extension, named TXU-CROSSBAR, has been specifically developed to characterize analog vector-matrix multiplication (VMM) and, more generally, crossbar-structured arrays. TXU-CROSSBAR expands the capabilities of the TESTMESH platform while preserving full compatibility with the standard system, providing researchers with a flexible environment for evaluating increasingly complex emerging-memory architectures.
Analog IMC based on RRAM memristor arrays is one of the most promising approaches for accelerating artificial intelligence workloads with dramatically improved energy efficiency. At the same time, these devices introduce new characterization challenges, requiring highly flexible instrumentation capable of combining precise analog stimulus, synchronized measurements, programmable algorithms, and advanced software control. TXU-CROSSBAR has been designed specifically to address these requirements.

This delivery represents the third TESTMESH TMA-100 system supplied to the same customer. In parallel, NplusT has already received the purchase order for a fourth system, further confirming both the value of the TESTMESH platform and the confidence established through this long-term technical collaboration.
Beyond the equipment itself, this project reflects the close cooperation established between the engineering teams. Working together, they have translated challenging characterization requirements into a practical and scalable solution, demonstrating how a modular platform can evolve alongside the rapidly changing needs of emerging-memory research.
The TESTMESH Extension Unit represents an important milestone in the evolution of the TESTMESH family. It enables customer-specific capabilities to be integrated into a common platform without compromising maintainability or future evolution, allowing new application domains to be addressed while leveraging the same proven hardware and software infrastructure.
As research in emerging memories and analog computing continues to accelerate, NplusT remains committed to providing flexible characterization solutions that enable innovation and shorten the path from laboratory research to commercial products.
The repeat adoption of TESTMESH by the same customer demonstrates the scalability of the platform and the value of long-term engineering partnerships in bringing next-generation memory technologies from research to production.

Advanced characterization environment for PCM (Phase Change Memory) test arrays

Since 2011, NplusT has presented the MOCCA (MOst Creative Customer Award) annually to recognize and celebrate the user team that demonstrates outstanding creativity in applying NplusT products to innovative and impactful projects. The award reflects the shared commitment to exploration, collaboration, and technological advancement.
For 2025, the MOCCA Award has been granted to the STMicroelectronics, Global Technology R&D – PCM Excellence Center team, composed of Giulia Samanni (ePCM Process Architecture & Device Reliability Staff Engineer), Enrico Gomiero (ePCM Device Architecture & Design Principal Engineer) and Alessandro Motta (ePCM Characterization Staff Engineer), and managed by Roberto Annunziata, for the creation of an advanced characterization environment for PCM (Phase Change Memory) test arrays.
Through their innovative approach, the STMicroelectronics team has developed a solution, based on NplusT’s TESTMESH TMA-100 instrumentation platform, that greatly enhances the speed and efficiency of device characterization, opening new opportunities for deeper analysis and faster iteration in memory technology development. Their project exemplifies how close collaboration and creative application of NplusT tools can translate into tangible performance breakthroughs.
Tamas Kerekes, President and CEO of NplusT, commented:
“Working with the STMicroelectronics team was a perfect example of how shared technical curiosity and mutual trust can accelerate innovation. Their forward-thinking use of our NVM characterization tools to build a highly efficient PCM test environment not only demonstrates exceptional creativity but also sets a new benchmark for characterization speed. We are proud to see such a clear alignment between our vision and their execution.”
Roberto Annunziata, Global Technology R&D – PCM Excellence Center Director, STMicroelectronics:
“NplusT provided a perfect framework for an effective collaboration. Technical expertise of our partners and strong motivation to find solutions enabled working as a unique team, exploiting the wide field of competencies. Results jointly achieved are a value for the current projects and an example for future collaborations in different domains.”

The STMicroelectronics Global Technology R&D PCM Excellence Center team and NplusT's CTO Nicola Campanelli — The STMicroelectronics Global Technology R&D PCM Excellence Center team and NplusT’s CTO Nicola Campanelli

NplusT today announced two important upgrades to its NanoCycler HS24 product line, enhancing performance and extending applicability for NAND characterization.

New NanoCycler HS24 BGA154 Tester Unit (rev2)

The new version of the NanoCycler HS24 BGA154 tester unit introduces standby current measurement with approx. 1 µA resolution, enabling more precise power characterization. The updated unit maintains full mechanical and software compatibility with existing systems and will be available at the same price as the previous version. Orders are open now, with deliveries starting in 3–4 months.

Industrial Temperature Range Configuration

NplusT has created a specific version and qualified both the HS24 BGA152 and BGA154 tester units for the industrial temperature range, enabling reliable testing of SSD devices for automotive and industrial applications. Integration with a climatic chamber is required, and NplusT offers engineering support to ensure smooth implementation.

“Our mission is to help SSD makers understand the behavior of the most recent NAND devices, accelerate development and ensure product reliability under real-world conditions,” said Tamas Kerekes, President and CEO of NplusT. “With these upgrades, the NanoCycler platform is now even more versatile, addressing the demanding requirements of industrial and automotive markets.”

For more information, please contact:

Davide Zini
Sales Director
davide.zini@n-plus-t.com

or one of our sales partners.

Join us at the International Memory Workshop 2025 to discover our solutions designed for rapid and accurate characterization of emerging non-volatile memory technologies, facilitate faster time-to-market and enhanced engineering productivity.

📅 [May 18th-21st 2025] | 📍 [Monterey, CA, USA]
🔗 [IEEE IMW 2025]

NplusT’s technology was recently featured in a research publication and played a critical role in enabling precise data collection and testing. Using NanoCycler as core tool for acquiring real-device data during the entire NAND life cycle, Luo Zheng’s dissertation, titled “Research and Development of Efficient Testing Technology for Ultra-large Capacity 3D Flash Memory”, delves into enhancing the reliability and lifespan of 3D NAND flash memory.

Written under the guidance of Prof. Han Guojun at the Department of Electronic Information, Guangdong University of Technology, in Guangzhou, China, the research focuses on developing machine learning models to accurately predict flash memory lifespan. The work aims to optimize storage system performance by reducing the impact of noise on lifespan prediction accuracy.

The NplusT team extends their congratulations to Luo Zheng for earning the degree of Master of Electronic Information.

A leading European semiconductor manufacturer has chosen NplusT’s TESTMESH TMA-100 for the characterization of new emerging non-volatile technology devices. The decision was based on the significant speed advantage that TMA-100 offers, being several hundred times faster than competitive solutions.

NplusT – as gold sponsor of the event – will exhibit the TESTMESH non-volatile memory test system, aiming to accelerate the bring-up of novel technologies for data storage and in-memory neuromorphic computing.

Technology researchers and product developers benefit from a compact, all-in-one instrument, embedding all resources necessary for the characterization. They can focus on the analysis rather than spending time and effort for the integration of a complex test bench. TESTMESH’s speed-optimized architecture and the engineering-oriented software accelerates their process to obtain reliable results.

Looking forward to meet you, see you in Seoul!

Older Posts

NplusT Secures NanoCycler Order from Taiwan’s Semiconductor Industry

The new order from a Taiwanese NAND controller manufacturer demonstrates the value of dedicated NAND characterization equipment in a mature and highly competitive semiconductor market.

Why Do NAND Controller Manufacturers Need Independent Characterization Equipment?

Strengthening NplusT’s Presence in Asia

NplusT Delivers NanoCycler to U.S. Aerospace Customer

New NanoCycler Library Release Improves NAND Failure Collection Performance

Enabling the Next Generation of Analog In-Memory Computing with TESTMESH

MOCCA 2025 awarded to STMicroelectronics

NplusT Announces Major Upgrades to NanoCycler Product Line for NAND Characterization

NplusT at IMW 2025

NanoCycler Powers Research in 3D Flash Memory Lifespan Prediction: Luo Zheng Earns Master’s Degree at Guangdong University of Technology

New Purchase Order for TESTMESH TMA-100

Visit us at the International Memory Workshop – Seoul, 12-15 May 2024!

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