{"url":"https://newsforagent.com/news/2026-10-21/samsung-sk-hynix-china-nand-upgrades","markdown_url":"https://newsforagent.com/news/2026-10-21/samsung-sk-hynix-china-nand-upgrades.md","title":"Samsung Upgrades Xian Plant for 286-Layer NAND Chips","headline":"Samsung and SK Hynix Upgrade China Plants to Build More Advanced NAND Chips","description":"Samsung is converting its Xian plant to make 286-layer V9 NAND chips, targeting 5,000 wafers a month in December.","section":"Expansion","published_at":"2026-10-21T06:01:01+00:00","modified_at":"2026-10-21T06:01:01+00:00","author":"News Desk","key_takeaways":["Samsung's Xian plant, about 40% of its global NAND output, is being converted to make 286-layer V9 NAND chips.","SK Hynix aims to produce NAND with 240 layers or more at its Dalian facilities, up from 192 layers.","YMTC held 38.5% of China's NAND market in the second quarter, overtaking Samsung's 33.5%."],"companies":[{"name":"Samsung Electronics","is_primary":true,"profile_url":"https://akta.pro/company-profiles/00000ay/samsung-electronics","website":"https://www.samsung.com"},{"name":"SK Hynix","is_primary":false,"profile_url":"https://akta.pro/company-profiles/000043y/sk-hynix","website":"http://www.skhynix.com"}],"source":{"publisher":"Devdiscourse","title":"EXCLUSIVE-Samsung, SK Hynix upgrading China plants to make more advanced chips, people say","url":"https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/international/3995478-exclusive-samsung-sk-hynix-upgrading-china-plants-to-make-more-advanced-chips-people-say"},"other_sources":[],"tags":["Expansion","Samsung Electronics","SK Hynix"],"body_markdown":"[Samsung Electronics](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/00000ay/samsung-electronics) and [SK Hynix](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/000043y/sk-hynix) are upgrading their China factories to make more advanced NAND memory chips, four people familiar with the plans said, aiming to fend off a fast-growing Chinese rival and meet AI demand. [Devdiscourse](https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/international/3995478-exclusive-samsung-sk-hynix-upgrading-china-plants-to-make-more-advanced-chips-people-say) published the report. Samsung's Xian plant will make 286-layer chips, while SK Hynix's Dalian facility targets 240 layers.\n\n## Samsung's Monami Project at the Xian Plant\n\nSamsung's plant in Xian in northwestern China accounts for about 40% of the company's global NAND output and currently makes chips with about 200 layers, according to two of the people. Under a project known internally as \"Monami,\" Samsung is converting the facility to make 286-layer V9 NAND chips, targeting monthly output of 5,000 wafers in December this year and 40,000 wafers by December 2027, one person said.\n\nSamsung said the upgrade complies with US export regulations. \"The upgrade is aimed at meeting growing demand from global customers, including those in the US,\" the company said. \"The company is not expanding production capacity or constructing new manufacturing facilities.\"\n\nSK Hynix is looking to switch to NAND products with 240 layers or more at its Dalian facilities in northeastern China, three people familiar with the matter said. It currently makes 192-layer products there, one person said. SK Hynix acquired the Dalian site when it bought Intel's NAND operations in 2021, and it remains the sole NAND manufacturing site for that business, now named Solidigm and preparing for a US initial public offering. One person said the company is authorised to make chips with up to 240 layers at Dalian and may seek permission from Washington to conduct research and development on 300-plus-layer chips there. SK Hynix is in discussions with the Trump administration over plans to build a new NAND factory in the United States.\n\n## Samsung's AI Memory Investment Record\n\nSamsung reported record second-quarter 2026 operating profit of 89.4 trillion won, about $58.4 billion, a 19-fold year-over-year surge driven by AI memory chip demand, according to akta.pro [company records](https://akta.pro/company-data). The same records show second-quarter 2026 revenue of 171 trillion won, about $112 billion, more than double the year-ago level. Samsung and SK Hynix announced an 800 trillion won joint investment in a new semiconductor fabrication hub in South Korea's southwest region, coordinating capacity expansion to address AI memory demand.\n\n## Samsung's Recent Product and Partnership Moves\n\nSamsung updated the Galaxy A56 with One UI 9, adding AirDrop compatibility to Quick Share for direct file transfers with Apple devices, Android Headlines reported in October 2026. Samsung Health added a Scan Meal feature in beta for US users, letting them photograph food to get AI-based nutritional estimates, BGR reported in October 2026. Samsung's One UI 9 also adds Driving Report, which tracks driving habits such as acceleration, turns and phone use via phone sensors, EIN Presswire reported in October 2026.\n\n## What Comes Next for the China Plants\n\nSamsung targets monthly output of 5,000 wafers at Xian in December this year and 40,000 wafers by December 2027, one person said. SK Hynix may seek permission from Washington to conduct research and development on 300-plus-layer chips at Dalian, one person said, and is in discussions with the Trump administration over plans to build a new NAND factory in the United States.\n","publisher":{"name":"News for Agent","url":"https://newsforagent.com"}}