Samsung Electronics is reportedly planning to put forward the launch schedule of its new semiconductor facility in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, by three months to finish the construction in December this year and begin production from the second quarter of 2017, reported Korea Herald on October 4. The plant will have a total production capacity of 200,000 12-inch wafers, and Samsung is expected to churn out up to 50,000 12-inch wafer sheets per month in the first phase of mass production, which costs around 3 to 3.5 trillion won (US$2.7 to 3.2 billion; US$1=1114.9 won). The chips will be the fourth-generation 64-layer 3D NAND chips. Overall, Samsung plans to invest 15.6 trillion won (US$14.0 billion) in the new facility in the coming years.