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Kioxia Reportedly Exits 2D NAND Market, Phasing Out Floating Gate and BiCS FLASH Gen 3 in 2028 Shortly after its earlier announcement to discontinue thin small-outline package (TSOP) products in late May, Kioxia China, according to TechNews, issued another end-of-life notice to customers on March 31, stating that its certain floating gate and third-generation BiCS FLASH products will be phased out in 2028. According to the notice cited by the report, the last time for customer final purchase forecasts and orders is set for September 30, 2026, while final shipments will be completed by December 31, 2028. This implies that by 2029, Kioxia will have fully exited the 2D NAND market, TechNews notes. Kioxia’s latest notice is in line with its earlier move: as reported by TechNews, on March 19, Kioxia announced that it would discontinue TSOP-packaged products due to substrate phase-outs, shifting market demand, and production constraints. TSOP packaging is primarily used for low-capacity MLC NAND flash memory, the report adds. As previously reported by The Elec, Samsung had already flagged in late February that it may halt 2D NAND production at Hwaseong Line 12 as early as March and converting the facility into a 1C DRAM end fab to ease production bottlenecks. Notably, the report suggested that this move officially closes Samsung’s 2D NAND chapter. According to TrendForce, as major international NAND Flash producers reduce or halt MLC NAND Flash output and redirect their capital and R&D investments toward advanced process tech, the worldwide MLC NAND Flash capacity is expected to decrease by 41.7% YOY in 2026, leading to increased supply-demand discrepancies. The significant decline in MLC NAND Flash supply, as per TrendForce, is mainly due to Samsung—formerly the largest supplier—announcing in March 2025 that its MLC NAND products would reach end of life, with final shipments in June 2026. Additionally, Kioxia, SK hynix, and Micron have limited their MLC production primarily to meet existing customer demand, with little motivation to increase capacity. Personal addition 🤓: I have already shared the information taht planar NAND is phasing out especially after the EOL of Samsung an Kioxia. Now BiCS3 on top was obvious to bring full output on high runners BiCS5 and newly BiCS8. In order to swap MLC to TLC lines, complete production facilities nned to be reconstructed or newly build. This will take some time, but the allocation came to stay so far... #embedded #storage #DRAM #semiconductor #electronics altec ComputerSysteme GmbH #NAND Micron Technology Samsung Electronics SK hynix Sandisk

Micron predicts that cars will need 300GB of RAM — memory-laden vehicles could exacerbate shortages but create 'robust long-term growth in automotive memory demand' Micron Technology’s latest outlook highlights a shift many still underestimate: memory is becoming a key bottleneck—and opportunity—of the next decade. While AI data centers are already consuming massive amounts of #DRAM and #HBM, a second wave is emerging: #autonomous #vehicles. Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra expects Level 4 vehicles to require over 300GB of RAM per car. That signals a fundamental shift—cars are evolving into data centers on wheels. Today’s progression: - L2 systems (e.g., Autopilot) already demand significant #memory for real-time sensor processing - L4 autonomy requires continuous environment modeling, #AI inference, and redundancy systems at scale At the same time, supply is tight. AI demand for HBM (HBM3E, soon HBM4) is pushing capacity limits, even as Micron expands production with new fabs planned for 2028–2029. Key dynamics: - AI vs. Automotive Demand Both sectors will compete for high-performance memory. Shift to Specialized Memory - Advanced architectures will move beyond data centers into vehicles. Structural Growth - AI and autonomy are long-term demand drivers—not cyclical trends. https://lnkd.in/etEB-SdW Personal addition 🤓: If the 300GB per car is real, then we face the next big challenge for memory supply. Memory is not just a commodity anymore, it is vital for every product. Teh demand is exploding faster than any production can be scaled up. Still having a risk the the demand curve breaks due to first mover investments are gone etc. It is a disruptive time and we have all hands to do to keep our customers in supply (which nearly enters a mission impossible stage)....don't talk about pricing....crazy. #embedded #embeddedsystem #IIOT #industry40 #SSD #NAND #electronics #storage #semiconductor #automotive #automation #technology altec ComputerSysteme GmbH

China smartphone makers raise prices as AI-driven memory crunch bites Global memory chip prices are rising, now impacting consumer #electronics, also #smartphones. After Oppo and OnePlus raised prices on March 10, Vivo and iQOO followed with increases of 500–1,000 yuan ($70–$140), marking a significant wave of smartphone price hikes in China. The main driver is booming #AI demand. AI server shipments are to grow over 28% in 2026, increasing demand for #DRAM and #NAND. Chipmakers like Micron Technology and SK hynix are prioritizing high-margin AI and server memory (e.g. #HBM), reducing supply for consumer devices and pushing prices higher. As #memory becomes a larger share of smartphone costs, manufacturers face shrinking margins—especially in mid- and low-end segments. Many are raising prices or adjusting product strategies. Memory prices have been climbing since late 2025 and are expected to keep rising through 2026. Larger brands are managing costs via premium models, while smaller players struggle. Overall, smartphone prices are rising, shipments may decline, and market share is consolidating among major companies. Consumers are becoming more cautious. Subsidies in China help somewhat, but rising prices are still dampening demand. Some buyers may purchase early to avoid further increases, while others delay upgrades, hoping for price relief after 2027. https://lnkd.in/dejtJJEf Personal addition 🤓: Finally the consumer market is feeling the first impacts of the shortage/allocation. The reason why it takes time is that consumer products will be build on stock. Until this "old stock" lasts or long lasting contracts exist, the prices keep stable. We are pretty sure that within the next 3-4 months we will see an overall explosion of consumer electronic prices such as smartphones, tablets, notebooks, or also Raspberry PI's etc. everywhere where memory makes a bigger portion. #embedded #embeddedsystems #IIOT #industry40 #SSD #memory #NAND #DRAM #electronics #semiconductor #automotive #automation #technology altec ComputerSysteme GmbH Micron Technology Samsung Electronics Sandisk KIOXIA Europe GmbH SK hynix Yangtze Memory Technologies

Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are scaling back their #DRAM expansion plans: Is there concern about potential overcapacity? The #memory industry is currently riding a wave of record profitability driven by AI. Demand for DRAM—especially #HBM—has surged to unprecedented levels, fueled by data centers, AI accelerators, and next-gen infrastructure. But behind this boom, something more strategic is happening. Samsung and SK hynix are not aggressively expanding their #DRAM capacity—despite strong demand and rising prices. At first glance, this seems counterintuitive. In reality, it reflects a deeper understanding of one of the #semiconductor industry's oldest patterns: the cycle of overcapacity. A Lesson Learned the Hard Way High demand has historically triggered aggressive capacity expansion—followed by oversupply, price crashes, and painful downturns. Now, Samsung and SK hynix are choosing discipline. Building billion-dollar fabs in a peak market is risky, as demand may normalize before returns materialize. HBM Is Changing the Game #HBM, driven by #AI, is the most profitable #memory segment—but it consumes critical capacity and advanced resources. Result: less capacity for traditional #DRAM → not just a shortage, but strategic scarcity. - Impact Across the Value Chain - Rising memory costs - Pressure on OEM margins - Higher BOM share - Price increases or feature cuts Not a Crisis—A Strategy This is intentional: maximize profit, avoid oversupply, focus on high-margin segments. -> Supply is tightly controlled. What This Means The market is no longer volume-driven, but disciplined. ->Expect controlled scarcity, not falling prices. https://lnkd.in/drbJrJ28 Personal addition 🤓: After all the articles I’ve shared over the past four months on the memory shortage, one thing is clear: the major players are nervous. They still remember the post-COVID phase, when aggressive expansion created massive oversupply and destroyed margins. No one wants to repeat that mistake. Today, suppliers are holding back CAPEX and focusing on discipline. I also doubt that the current pace of AI investment will last forever. What worries me more is the opposite risk: investment may now be too low, allowing demand to outpace supply so much that scaling up becomes difficult without triggering another destructive cycle. #embedded #embeddedsystems #IIOT #industry40 #SSD #DRAM #NAND #flashmemory altec ComputerSysteme GmbH #electronics #semiconductor #technology

No scenario in which memory prices will correct in the second half of the year “There is no scenario in which #memory prices will correct in the second half of the year, as the hyperscalers' purchasing intentions remain unbroken.” This is the conclusion reached by market researcher Counterpoint Research, which has contacts in the memory industry. Counterpoint estimates that Samsung Electronics, SK hynix, Micron Technology from the USA, and the comparatively small competitors CXMT from China and Nanya Technology from Taiwan will increase #DRAM production by 26% by 2026. DRAM is available, for example, in the form of DDR5 RAM for desktop PCs, LPDDR5X for notebooks, and High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) for AI accelerators. NAND flash production for SSDs is expected to increase by 24%. New #semiconductor plants necessary However, this is not enough to meet the high demand, which is primarily driven by cloud #hyperscalers with their #AI data centers. Memory manufacturers are primarily increasing production this year through more modern manufacturing processes, which allow more or more densely packed memory chips to fit onto a silicon wafer. New semiconductor plants require time before they can produce memory modules in series. Even after construction is completed, it typically takes at least another six months before production can start. It then takes several more months for finished memory modules to be produced from a wafer. https://lnkd.in/dK5RhM6m Personal addition 🤓: We are back from the great embedded world Exhibition&Conference. And all what we heard there from customers, suppliers and chip manufacturers directly are confirming the above text and also what I was writing the last 6 weeks. With the published investments from the big hyperscalers, there is much probably no easing of this allocation within 2026. We are not even at the peak... #embedded #embeddedsystems #memory #NAND #DRAM #IIOT #industry40 #flashmemory #SSD #AI #datacenter #semiconductor #technology #electronics altec ComputerSysteme GmbH Micron Technology KIOXIA Group Samsung Electronics SK hynix Yangtze Memory Technologies Sandisk

Micron opens $2.75bn chip assembly plant in India Micron Technology has opened its first #semiconductor test and assembly facility in Sanand, Gujarat, backed by a combined $2.75bn investment with government partners. The plant converts #DRAM and #NAND wafers from Micron’s global network into finished #memory and #storage products. Once fully ramped, phase one will include over 500,000ft² of cleanroom space, making it one of the world’s largest single-floor test and assembly sites. The ISO-certified facility has begun commercial production, shipping its first made-in-India memory modules to Dell Technologies for locally produced laptops. Output is expected to reach tens of millions of chips in 2026 and hundreds of millions in 2027. CEO Sanjay Mehrotra called the launch a milestone for both Micron and India’s semiconductor ambitions. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the project strengthens India’s push into hardware manufacturing, positioning microchips as central to this century’s economy. IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw added that India is shifting from chip consumer to global manufacturing hub. The site forms part of Micron’s broader strategy to diversify manufacturing and strengthen supply chain resilience amid rising #AI-driven demand. The company is also building a $24bn NAND facility in Singapore and a major DRAM megafab in New York, with plans to invest up to $100bn in the US over 20 years. In Gujarat, Micron is partnering with local universities and skills programmes to support workforce development. The facility meets LEED gold standards and uses advanced water-saving systems to achieve zero liquid discharge. https://lnkd.in/dfktUBFA Personal addition 🤓: Unfortunately, it is just a wafer packing fab and will not increase production volume. As soon as the new wafer fabs should start (2027 to 2028) this fab will help to reduce the backend bottleneck, but it has no effect on current market situation. #embedded #embeddedsystems #IIOT #industry40 #SSD #electronics #technology #automotive #automation #HBM #flashmemory altec ComputerSysteme GmbH

Now Kioxia coins gold from NAND shortage, with more coming Unexpectedly high #NAND prices pushed KIOXIA Group to record revenue and profit in fiscal Q3 2025 (ended December 31). Revenue reached ¥543.6 billion ($3.6B), up 21% year-on-year, while net income rose 16% to ¥89.5 billion ($585M). The company has significantly reduced its debt-to-equity ratio from 227% in early FY2024 to 80% and aims to further strengthen free cash flow through sustained operating profits. #Kioxia, which operates long-term supply agreements (LTAs) with quarterly price negotiations, is now discussing new LTAs with hyperscalers extending into 2027 and 2028. A major change involves its joint venture with Sandisk. Following the Yokkaichi fab contract extension to 2034, Sandisk will pay an additional ¥45 billion ($290M) annually on top of the existing ¥200 billion. The model has shifted from at-cost manufacturing to a manufacturing services compensation model, adding roughly ¥20 billion ($131M) per year in operating profit through 2034. Looking ahead, Kioxia expects “extremely strong” #NAND demand to exceed supply in 2026, driven by server replacements, #AI inference workloads, and HDD shortages pushing QLC #SSD adoption. While PC and smartphone demand remains uncertain, the company forecasts high-teens percentage bit growth overall. High-capacity SSD development is progressing, with 122TB and 245TB models shipped for qualification and mass production planned this year. KV Cache NAND is expected to enter mass production around 2027 using 8th-gen 218-layer BiCS TLC flash. For next quarter, Kioxia forecasts ¥890 billion (±¥45B) in revenue and ¥340 billion (±¥30B) in net income—both record levels—leading to projected full-year revenue of ¥2.2 trillion ($14.5B), up 27.7%, and record net income of ¥489.7 billion ($3.2B). CFO Hideki Hanazawa emphasized that rising selling prices are the main driver, with a growing share of #datacenter and #enterprise SSD shipments strengthening profitability. Kioxia is set to emerge financially much stronger from the current NAND shortage. https://lnkd.in/dihiuBS4 Personal addition 🤓: At these figures you can see where the money goes after the price hikes. Q1 figures for Kioxia will be even better as the biggest price hike came in January. #embedded #embeddedsystems #IIOT #industry40 #storage #memory #NAND #DRAM #automation #automotive #technology #electronics #semiconductor Micron Technology Samsung Electronics SK hynix Yangtze Memory Technologies altec ComputerSysteme GmbH

Micron breaks ground on $24bn NAND wafer fab in Singapore Micron Technology has commenced construction on a next-generation advanced wafer fabrication facility in Singapore, a $24bn investment aimed at expanding global #NAND flash production capacity. The new fab, located within Micron’s established NAND manufacturing campus, is designed to support high-volume production of advanced NAND memory to serve surging demand from artificial intelligence, data centre, and storage applications. NAND is a type of #flashmemory used in solid-state drives, USB drives, and other #storage devices to retain data without power. Once completed, the fab will become Singapore’s first double-storey wafer fabrication plant, and will encompass 700,000 sqft of cleanroom space.  Construction is underway with wafer output slated to begin in the second half of 2028. How the move will bolster R&D goals The expansion reinforces Micron’s strategy of co-locating R&D, advanced packaging and wafer production.  The wafer fab alone is expected to generate about 1,600 new jobs in engineering, operations and automation roles.  The fab is being constructed with advanced automation and AI-assisted process systems to drive yield and throughput. It will house cleanrooms precisely controlled for particulate levels, temperature, and humidity to support photolithography, etching, deposition, and other critical front-end processes. “This investment solidifies Micron’s long-term commitment to Singapore as a critical hub in our global manufacturing network,” said Manish Bhatia, Executive Vice President of Global Operations at Micron. Earlier this month, the company signed a $1.8bn letter of intent to acquire a fabrication site in Taiwan, adding an established 300,000 sqft cleanroom facility to accelerate #DRAM wafer production from 2027. Sustainability and industry impact The project is being designed to meet leadership in energy and environmental design standards. The facility is planned to comply with LEED standards and include programs for greenhouse gas reduction, water recycling, and waste minimisation. https://lnkd.in/ddzWZbXd Personal addition 🤓: I see signs that production volumes are finally getting expaneded in CAPEX is going uop, hopefully it si enough. #embedded #embeddedsystems #IIOT #industry40 #SSD #DRAM #automation #automotive #electronics #semiconductor #technology Samsung Electronics KIOXIA Group SK hynix Sandisk Solidigm Yangtze Memory Technologies altec ComputerSysteme GmbH