NAND-based storage devices are a hotly contested industry, in which Samsung has been the leader since 2002, but its competitors are gaining ground.
The South Korean electronics giant announced plans to begin mass production of its new 290-layer ninth generation (V9) vertical NAND chips, aimed at AI and cloud devices as well as server servers. large-scale business. These use Samsung’s dual-stack technology, rather than the commonly used triple-stack method.
But other companies are getting closer. SK Hynix, the world’s second-largest memory chipmaker and rival to Samsung, plans to launch its 321-layer NAND technology early next year, while Chinese flash memory specialist Yangtze Memory Technologies announces plans to introduce 300-layer chips later this year.
A game of chicken
As the battle heats up, Samsung is already looking beyond the impending V9 launch, with industry insiders indicating that a stunning tenth generation (V10) 430-layer NAND chip is expected to be unveiled next year. Unlike the V9, this one will use Samsung’s triple-stack technology.
The aggressive push for NAND supremacy comes as demand for high-performance, high-capacity storage devices increases in the AI era. High-density NAND chips meet this demand while enhancing the capabilities of 5G smartphones.
Korean economic daily claims that major chipmakers are now “engaged in a game of chicken in a race to develop advanced chip stacking technology to reduce costs and improve performance.” He points out that Samsung has already announced plans to develop more 1,000-layer NAND chips by 2030.
