Second-gen Phison [6nm] SSD controllers hit the market with 14.9 GB/s speeds — TeamGroup Z54E spearheads a new army of PCIe 5.0 drives
Story by Zhiye Liu • 2h
TeamGroup has announced its new T-Force Z54E, a PCIe 5.0 SSD designed to trade blows with the best SSDs on the market. Notably, the Z54E isn't just another PCIe 5.0 drive but the first retail SSD to launch with Phison's high-performance E28 SSD controller, setting it apart from the competition.
The E28 controller signifies a substantial advancement over its predecessor, the E26 controller. Utilizing TSMC's 6nm process technology, the E28 delivers enhanced performance and superior power efficiency. Furthermore, the E28 serves as Phison's response to Silicon Motion's SM2508, which has been expanding its presence within the PCIe 5.0 market segment. With the introduction of the E28, Phison endeavors to reestablish its position as the leading manufacturer of PCIe 5.0 controllers.
The Z54E will be one of many consumer PCIe 5.0 M.2 2280 drives employing the Phison E28 controller. TeamGroup does not specify the particular type of flash memory used in the Z54E, only indicating that it is constructed with "high-density 3D TLC NAND flash." If an inference must be made, it is likely to utilize a 232-layer NAND, suggesting that TeamGroup may potentially be sourcing the flash from Micron or YMTC.
Rest:
Second-gen Phison SSD controllers hit the market with 14.9 GB/s speeds — TeamGroup Z54E spearheads a new army of PCIe 5.0 drives
Copilot:
TSMC's 6nm (N6) node is a transitional, cost-effective refinement of its 7nm process, but it's not as widely adopted as the flagship 5nm (N5) node. Companies often choose 6nm for design reuse and lower cost, while 5nm is preferred for cutting-edge performance and density.
Here’s how it breaks down:
What is TSMC’s 6nm node?
- N6 is a derivative of TSMC’s 7nm (N7) process, offering modest improvements in power and density.
- It’s fully design-rule compatible with N7, meaning companies can reuse existing 7nm IP with minimal changes.
- This makes it attractive for cost-sensitive upgrades or mid-cycle refreshes where full 5nm migration isn’t justified.
Why not 5nm?
- 5nm (N5) is a major leap, introducing EUV lithography more extensively and offering:
- ~15% speed improvement or ~30% power reduction over 7nm
- Much higher transistor density—ideal for flagship mobile SoCs and high-performance computing
- However, 5nm requires more expensive mask sets, IP redesign, and validation, making it less appealing for products that don’t need bleeding-edge specs.
- 6nm hits a sweet spot for companies wanting better efficiency without the full cost of 5nm migration.
Adoption trends
- 5nm is dominant in premium segments: Apple’s A-series chips, AMD’s Zen 4, and many AI accelerators.
- 6nm is used in mid-tier SoCs, modems, and edge AI chips, especially where reuse of 7nm IP is strategic.
- TSMC’s revenue data shows 5nm and 3nm nodes now account for the bulk of advanced node revenue, while 6nm plays a supporting role.
Strategic use cases
- If the E28 is using 6nm, it likely reflects:
- Design reuse from a 7nm predecessor
- Power efficiency goals without extreme density
- Faster time-to-market or lower NRE (non-recurring engineering) costs
Want to riff on how this compares to Samsung’s 5nm vs 4nm strategy or how EUV adoption shapes node economics? I’d love to dig deeper.
Yes, SSD controller nodes are shrinking rapidly, driven by demand for higher performance, lower power, and tighter integration—especially in AI, cloud, and edge computing environments.
Here’s what’s fueling the trend:
Why SSD controllers are shrinking
- Performance and efficiency: Smaller nodes (like 12nm, 7nm, and even 6nm) allow for faster data throughput, lower latency, and reduced power consumption—critical for enterprise SSDs and AI workloads.
- Integration pressure: As NAND flash scales and interface speeds rise (PCIe Gen4/Gen5, NVMe 2.0), controllers must handle more parallelism, error correction, and thermal management—requiring more transistors in less space.
- Competitive edge: Vendors like Phison, Silicon Motion, and Samsung are pushing toward advanced nodes to differentiate on speed, thermals, and feature sets (e.g., AI-assisted caching, dynamic wear leveling).
Node shrink examples
- Phison’s E26 controller uses TSMC’s 12nm node for PCIe Gen5 SSDs.
- Silicon Motion’s SM2508 targets 6nm for next-gen PCIe Gen5 SSDs, emphasizing power efficiency and DRAM-less architecture.
- Samsung’s in-house controllers for enterprise SSDs are rumored to be migrating toward sub-10nm nodes to support high-density NAND and AI acceleration.
Market momentum
- The SSD controller market is projected to grow from $32.1B in 2024 to $158.3B by 2034, with a CAGR of 17.4%.
- Shrinking nodes are central to this growth, enabling controllers to support AI, big data, and virtualization workloads with better thermal and power profiles.
Strategic implications
- Design complexity rises: Advanced nodes require more sophisticated layout, validation, and firmware tuning—especially for TLC/QLC NAND and zoned namespaces.
- Cost vs. benefit: While smaller nodes offer performance gains, they also increase NRE and mask costs, so vendors balance node choice based on segment (consumer vs enterprise).
- Thermal headroom matters: As SSDs push 14GB/s+ speeds, controller thermals become a bottleneck—smaller nodes help mitigate this without bulky heatsinks.
If you're benchmarking Gen5 SSDs or tracking controller evolution for AI edge deployments, I can help map out vendor strategies or compare node choices across product lines. Want to dive into how controller shrinkage affects DRAM-less designs or NAND compatibility?
PS
ArFi NAND layers growing to the sky. 1000L roadmap.
With EUV controllers.
It's JUST started.
PSS
Anything PCIe 5.0 is Shrink n Stack bit intense.
ASML
Village
:-) |
