Samsung recently announced that the company is set to invest USD 6.5 billion to increase its NAND flash production capacity in Pyeongtaek, Korea, the Arirang News reported on June 2. This investment is projected to meet rising demands for advanced V-NAND memory from emerging technologies like 5G, AI (Artificial Intelligence) and IoT (Internet of Things), the Economic Daily News reported. The construction of the new line situated at the company’s existing plant in Pyeongtaek will be completed in the second half of 2021 to mass produce 100-layer class V-NAND flash memory, the industry’s first of its kind. In addition to Pyeongtaek, Samsung has another two NAND flash production facilities in Kwaseong, Korea, and Xi’an, China.
Amid COVID-19 pandemic, it is anticipated the global semiconductor market will still grow 1.2% year-on-year in 2020 although it may face a one-to-two quarter delay in demand recovery, according to MIC (Market Intelligence & Consulting Institute), a government think tank and IT research institute in Taipei, Taiwan.