Contract prices for 32Gb and 64Gb multi-level cell (MLC) NAND flash chips have seen flat to 3% growth to average US$7.24 and US$15.50, respectively, for the second half of January, according to DRAMeXchange. Meanwhile, prices for lower-density units have remained flat.

DRAMeXchange saw some system OEMs begin to restock their inventory for Lunar New Year holiday sales in December 2009, due to concerns over a supply shortage. Contract prices for most MLC NAND flash chips have been stable since December.

With chip suppliers mainly focusing on OEM's high-density orders, early January contract prices for 8Gb and 16Gb parts stayed flat or dropped slightly, DRAMeXchange said.

Industry sources have also commented that the price gap between high-density and lower-density parts will widen later in 2010, as major NAND flash producers migrate to higher densities and more advanced technologies. Higher-density parts will see stable prices while prices for their lower-density ones will drop fast.

Previous reports cited industry observers saying that around 70-80% of 2-bit per cell chips used in entry-level flash drives and memory cards would be replaced by 3-bit per cell ones in 2010, as major NAND flash producers have stepped into mass production of 3- or even 4-bit per cell chips for better production efficiency.

By: DocMemory
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