Samsung Electronics plans to upgrade its Xian facility to manufacture 286-layer flash chips by the end of the year. This site currently accounts for approximately 40% of the company's total global NAND output, with current production focused on chips featuring around 200 layers.
SK Hynix intends to transition its Dalian plant to produce NAND chips with at least 240 layers. The facility, which the company acquired in 2021, currently manufactures 192-layer chips. No specific timeline for these upgrades has been disclosed by the manufacturer.
Both South Korean companies must navigate U.S. export controls established in 2022. These regulations require firms to obtain licenses before installing U.S.-made equipment in their Chinese factories, which complicates efforts to meet rising demand for AI-related memory.
Chinese manufacturer CXMT is expanding its operations beyond DRAM into 3D NAND memory for SSDs. In the first half of 2026, CXMT reported revenue of $22.41 billion and a net profit of $11.57 billion. Meanwhile, YMTC aims to become the leading global NAND producer by the end of 2027.
