SANDISK MEMORY VAULT TECHNOLOGY

As a leader and pioneer in the non-volatile memory market, SanDisk has been in the forefront of developing advanced memory technology for over 23 years. For the SanDisk Memory Vault, SanDisk engineers have built on this success to create an archival memory system with the capability for long term data preservation

The Memory Vault memory system contains a combination of a proprietary ASIC controller, non-volatile memory, and a system firmware to tie the two together. The resulting memory system provides users with a digital memory vault capable of keeping their most precious memories safe, at their original quality, for up to 100 years.

Test data collected during our verification process prove that the Memory Vault product is capable of up to 100 years of data retention under typical room temperature storage conditions, with humidity and static protection.

Data Retention Test Methodology

In order to substantiate how SanDisk Memory Vault technology can support 100 year data retention, accelerated temperature cycling and the Arrhenius acceleration factor were used to simulate the effects to data retention over long durations of memory usage.

The Arrhenius equation expresses the relationship between the rate constant (or acceleration factor) and the activation energy and temperature of a reaction.

Figure 1. Arrhenius Equation

EXAMPLE: The following example is for illustrative purposes only. Actual figures used to validate data retention properties meet and or exceed standard product usage parameters. In this example, the test calculation the following temperatures and activation energies were used:

1. Ea = Activation Energy = 1.0 ev
2. Boltzmann Constant = 8.62*10^-5
3. Product application temperature used for this test (Ta) = 35ºC
4. Product test temperature used for this test (Tt) = 125ºC
5. Product's time-to-failure is exponential

The activation energy used in these calculations is a conservative value of well-known industry standard numbers. Additionally, higher stress was introduced on the product by using a conservative application temperature of 35ºC, which exceeds the typical archival storage temperature of 25°C +/- 10°C.

Temperature cycling tests were performed at an accelerated temperature of 125°C. Data was then verified to remain unchanged. After applying the Arrhenius equation, the SanDisk Memory Vault technology is shown to be capable of supporting at least 100 years of data retention.

After capturing your most precious moments, whether they're graduation photographs or wedding videos, having the peace of mind that they will be stored securely and in their original format for generations to come is invaluable. Data retention test results and over 23 years of memory management experience show that you can trust SanDisk to deliver a secure solution to preserve your priceless memories.