Samsung and SK Hynix upgrade China factories for advanced NAND chips
Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are upgrading their Chinese manufacturing plants to produce advanced NAND flash memory chips with more than 200 layers, aiming to meet AI demand and counter local rival YMTC.
Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are upgrading their manufacturing plants in China to produce more advanced memory chips, according to a report by Reuters citing people familiar with the matter. The South Korean chipmakers are retooling their Chinese fabrication lines to produce NAND flash chips with more than 200 layers, aiming to satisfy surging artificial intelligence demand and counter mounting pressure from domestic competitor YMTC.[1][3][4]
Under the reported plans, Samsung is upgrading its plant in Xi'an—which produces roughly 40% of its global NAND output—to manufacture 286-layer V9 chips. The company targets a monthly output of 40,000 wafers at the Xi'an facility by December 2027. SK Hynix is moving from 192-layer to 240-plus-layer NAND at its Dalian facility and may seek U.S. regulatory approval for research and development on chips with more than 300 layers.[2][3]
The facility upgrades come as YMTC overtook Samsung in China's local NAND flash market, claiming a 38.5% share in the second quarter compared to Samsung's 33.5% and SK Hynix's 17%. However, both South Korean memory manufacturers face U.S. export restrictions on advanced semiconductor equipment, and the full extent of regulatory clearances for their planned upgrades remains unclear.[2][3]
Key facts
- Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are upgrading their Chinese plants to produce NAND flash memory chips with more than 200 layers.
- The plant upgrades are intended to meet expanding AI-driven demand and fend off Chinese domestic rival YMTC.
- Samsung is upgrading its Xi'an facility, responsible for about 40% of its global NAND output, to manufacture 286-layer V9 chips.
- Samsung aims to achieve a monthly production capacity of 40,000 wafers at the Xi'an plant by December 2027.
- SK Hynix is shifting its Dalian plant from 192-layer to 240-plus-layer NAND and may seek U.S. approval for R&D on 300-plus-layer chips.
- YMTC led China's NAND market in Q2 with a 38.5% share, ahead of Samsung's 33.5% and SK Hynix's 17%.
- Both companies remain subject to U.S. export restrictions on advanced chipmaking equipment, leaving the extent of regulatory approvals uncertain.
Sources · 4 sources
- RE
Reuters@ReutersPost on X ·
Exclusive: Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are upgrading their China factories to produce more advanced memory chips, aiming to fend off competition from a fast-growing Chinese rival and meet huge AI demand https://t.co/1bC6hT9vVf
Open source - SB
Shay Boloor@StockSavvyShayPost on X ·
$SKHY and Samsung are upgrading their NAND plants in China to meet growing AI memory demand with Samsung targeting 286-layer chips and SK Hynix moving beyond 240 layers. This comes as China’s YMTC has overtaken Samsung in local NAND market share at 39% versus 34%. https://t.co/TxusL0QJ3v
Open source - WS
Wall St Engine@wallstenginePost on X ·
SAMSUNG, SK HYNIX TO UPGRADE CHINA CHIP PLANTS Samsung and SK Hynix are moving to manufacture more advanced NAND memory chips at their Chinese facilities to meet growing AI demand and compete with domestic rival YMTC, according to Reuters. Samsung is upgrading its Xi'an plant, which accounts for roughly 40% of its global NAND output, to produce 286-layer V9 chips. The company aims to reach monthly output of 40,000 wafers by December 2027. SK Hynix plans to move from 192-layer to 240-plus-layer NAND at its Dalian facility and may seek U.S. approval for R&D involving chips with more than 300 layers. The push comes as YMTC has overtaken Samsung in China's NAND market, reaching 38.5% share in Q2, compared with Samsung's 33.5% and SK Hynix's 17%. Both companies face U.S. export restrictions on advanced chipmaking equipment, and the extent of regulatory approvals for their planned upgrades remains unclear. Source: Reuters.
Open source - TE
TechmemeArticle ·
Sources: Samsung and SK Hynix are upgrading their China fabs to produce NAND flash chips with 200+ layers, aiming to fend off fast-growing Chinese rival YMTC (Reuters) Reuters : Sources: Samsung and SK Hynix are upgrading their China fabs to produce NAND flash chips with 200+ layers, aiming to fend off fast-growing Chinese rival YMTC — Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) and SK Hynix (000660.KS) are upgrading their China factories to produce more advanced memory chips …
Open source