Foreign media report: Samsung and SK Hynix are upgrading their Chinese factories to produce more advanced chips, in response to growing competition from China's Yangtze Memory Technologies (YMTC) and rising demand driven by artificial intelligence.
Samsung’s Xi’an facility, which accounts for approximately 40% of the company’s global NAND output, is advancing its production through an internal project codenamed "Monami," upgrading from 200-layer to 286-layer V9 NAND. The target is to achieve monthly production of 5,000 wafers by December this year, with plans to scale up to 40,000 wafers per month by December 2027.
SK Hynix’s Dalian plant is similarly upgrading its NAND technology from 192 layers to over 240 layers, and may seek regulatory approval to develop chips exceeding 300 layers, potentially supporting future operations at its upcoming U.S. facility.
Although the U.S. government previously indicated in 2025 it would not approve technology upgrade licenses, both South Korean companies state they are engaged in close consultations with Washington, emphasizing that these upgrades will not involve expanding existing facilities or constructing new ones. Yangtze Memory Technologies has already captured 38.5% of China’s NAND market share, surpassing Samsung’s 33.5%, with product offerings spanning from 160-layer to 294-layer NAND devices.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1879670666400843/
Disclaimer: This article reflects the personal views of the author.