Asia Express - East Asian ICT
Samsung and SK Hynix Both Unveil Plans to Build Next-Generation NAND Flash Memory Chips
September 01, 2023

Samsung is reportedly set to convert some 128-layer NAND production lines into facilities for making 236-layer NAND flash memory chips instead at its P1 facility in Pyeongtaek, according to Korean media ET News. Meanwhile, SK Hynix has also announced plans to mass-produce 238-layer memory chips, as reported by the Korea JoongAng Daily. Furthermore, Samsung plans to build a 300-layer and above NAND flash, called V-NAND, which boasts to be the world's highest-layer memory chips to date. Production is scheduled to begin in 2024, as reported by the Seoul Economic Daily. Samsung aims to mass produce 9th-generation V-NAND flash in 2024 and develop one with 1,000 layers by 2030.

According to Business Korea, NAND flash with 128 layers currently dominate the market, accounting for 50% of the market, followed  with those with 176 and 96 layers. It is expected that 176-layer NAND flash will constitute over half of the market, and the market share of 200-layer products will reach 10% in 2023. 

After an expected period of subdued growth in 2023, global semiconductor market value is estimated to reach US$576 billion in 2024, up 11.8% year-on-year, according to MIC (Market Intelligence & Consulting Institute). Established in 1987, MIC is a division of the III (Institute for Information Industry), a prominent government think tank and one of the leading IT research institutes in Taiwan.