How are you credited with inventing the SSD?

The invention of the solid-state drive (SSD) was not the achievement of one individual, but a The invention of the solid-state drive (SSD)²² was not the achievement of one individual, but a journey with many contributors across decades

No single person is universally credited with inventing the SSD. The concept evolved from RAM and charge-coupled memory efforts in the 1970s, later using flash memory—patented and developed by teams at Toshiba and commercialized by companies like SanDisk[2][3][12][11].

It is common to hear claims of individual or company invention, but the history of SSDs stretches across multiple technologies and industry milestones. Who really invented the SSD, and can the credit go to one person or company? Let’s look at the origins, the real inventors, and what it means for SSD technology today.

Who invented the SSD?

The earliest solid-state drives were built as high-priced, RAM-based storage devices for computers and enterprise systems in the 1970s. Flash-based SSDs came much later and evolved through the work of several inventors and companies.

The first SSD concepts were developed by StorageTek (Storage Technology Corporation) in 1978, for enterprise, with later advances by Dataram and Texas Memory Systems. The transition to flash-based SSDs began with Dr. Fujio Masuoka at Toshiba, who invented NAND flash memory in 1987. Commercial SSD products followed from SanDisk, M-Systems, and others in the late 1980s and early 1990s[2][4][3][12][11].

Dive Deeper: Credit, Innovation, and Commercialization

The journey to the SSD we know today unfolded in key stages:

Early SSDs in the 1970s, like the Dataram Bulk Core and StorageTek’s STC 4305, used volatile RAM, requiring battery backup to retain data[4][11][12]. These SSDs were niche, expensive, and targeted at high-performance computing, not everyday use. The real shift began in the 1980s, when Fujio Masuoka at Toshiba developed and patented flash memory (both NOR and later NAND types), solving the volatility and price problems of RAM-based storage[4][3].

SanDisk (originally SunDisk), co-founded by Eli Harari, leveraged Masuoka’s NAND flash invention and in 1989 patented and produced practical,SanDisk (originally SunDisk), co-founded by Eli Harari, leveraged Masuoka’s NAND flash²² invention and in 1989 patented and produced practical, non-volatile flash SSDs for mass storage

So, the SSD’s “invention” was not the result of one lone genius, but the collaboration and stepwise progression of memory technologists (Masuoka for NAND flash, Harari for controller/packaging), device architects, and companies willing to commercialize and refine the ideas into a viable product for the broader market[2][3][11][12].

Can you create your own SSD?

While inventing an SSD at the silicon level is complex, building or assembling your own SSD is absolutely possible today.

You can create your own SSD by combining an off-the-shelf SSD module (usually NVMe or SATA) with a compatible enclosure, allowing custom portable drives for personal use[5][6][7][8].

Dive Deeper: DIY SSD Building Explained

Modern SSDs are modular and accessible. Today, you can purchase a standard NVMe or SATA SSD (M.2, 2.5”, or even PCIe card form factors)[9], then pair it with an external enclosure (USB, Thunderbolt, etc.), or install it directly inside laptops and desktops. This process only requires matching interface and size—no deep electronics or chip design expertise needed[5][6][7][8].

Why build your own SSD? Personalization, cost savings, and performance—premade external SSDs often use lower-quality drives and mark up prices[5][7]. When building your own, you can pick faster drives, larger capacities, and better cooling or rugged options. As a designer, I appreciate the ability to tailor drives for backup, ultra-fast video editing, or even multi-platform compatibility.

Creating your own SSD doesn’t mean inventing new flash memory or designing a new controller, but it’s an accessible example of tech democratization—taking modular tech and assembling it for individual needs. For truly “inventing” new SSD tech, deep expertise and years of research are required, but customizing or building drives is open to anyone familiar with computer hardware.

When did SSDs come around?

Solid-state drives began to appear as specialized, high-priced RAM-based storage in the 1970s, but practical, affordable SSDs arrived with flash memory in the late 1980s and early 1990s[2][4][12][11][9].

The first RAM-based SSDs were built in the mid-to-late 1970s (Dataram in 1976, StorageTek in 1978). Flash-based SSDs became commercially available around 1991, after NAND flash invention in 1987, with SanDisk and IBM’s 20MB flash SSD for laptops[2][4][3][12][11][9].

Dive Deeper: A Timeline of SSD Arrival and Adoption

It’s clear there were two major “births” for SSDs: the RAM-based units in the late 1970s (fast, expensive, volatile, niche); and the NAND flash-based SSDs in the late 1980s–early 1990s (non-volatile, more affordable, and ready for wider adoption)[2][3][12][9][11].

While RAM-based SSDs were critical for high-speed enterprise and military applications, they saw very limited consumer use due to cost and complexity. NAND flash, originally invented by Dr. Masuoka at Toshiba, created the breakthrough that allowed SSDs to finally replace or compete with spinning hard drives on a much larger scale[2][3][12][9].

Today’s Today’s SSD industry—spanning laptops, data centers²², and mobile devices—grew from those key moments of invention, patenting, and commercialization