Samsung Electronics to Expand Pyeongtaek NAND Flash Production Line with 7 to 9 Trillion Won Investment (Update)

Mass Production of 7th Generation V-NAND Scheduled from Second Half of Next Year
Strategy to Expand Technological 'Super-Gap' in NAND Flash

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyewon] Samsung Electronics is adding a NAND flash production line at its Pyeongtaek semiconductor plant and plans to start mass production of 7th-generation V-NAND in the second half of next year.

On the 1st, Samsung Electronics announced that it began cleanroom construction last month for NAND flash production at Pyeongtaek Campus Line 2 (P2). Although the company did not disclose the exact investment amount, industry insiders estimate that approximately 7 to 9 trillion KRW will be invested in this NAND flash expansion.

This announcement of Samsung Electronics' NAND flash expansion investment at the Pyeongtaek Campus comes just ten days after it revealed on the 21st of last month that it would establish an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) foundry (semiconductor contract manufacturing) line at the same plant. The NAND flash expansion line is expected to mass-produce Samsung Electronics' cutting-edge V-NAND products in the second half of next year. This is the first time Samsung has mentioned the mass production timing of its 7th-generation V-NAND products with over 160 layers stacked.

The investment is explained as a response to the mid- to long-term expansion of NAND flash demand due to the advent of the 4th Industrial Revolution, including artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT), as well as the spread of 5G mobile communications. Especially amid the recent spread of 'untact' (contactless) lifestyles due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Samsung Electronics aims to seize future market opportunities through aggressive facility investment and 'super-gap' technological capabilities.

Choi Cheol, Vice President of the Memory Business Division Strategy and Marketing Office at Samsung Electronics, emphasized, "This investment is an effort to further expand the memory semiconductor super-gap even in uncertain environments. By responding seamlessly to customer demand with the best products, we will contribute to the national economy and the growth of the global IT industry."

Samsung Electronics currently operates NAND flash production lines domestically in Hwaseong and Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, and overseas in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China. Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong visited the Xi'an plant on the 18th of last month amid the COVID-19 situation to inspect the NAND flash expansion investment site. A Samsung Electronics official stated, "We will maintain a stable global supply chain and strengthen market leadership through balanced domestic and overseas investments."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.