South Korean chipmaker SK Hynix Inc. will begin the mass production of 48-layered three-dimensional (3D) vertical NAND (V-NAND) flash memories next year, according to its chief executive.

“After completing the development of 36-layered 3D NAND flash memory chips this year, we will develop 48-layered 3D NAND flash memories next year and begin mass producing them,” said SK Hynix CEO Park Sung-wook on Wednesday. His comments were made as he was attending the 2015 Korea Electronics Show at Kintex in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea.

SK Hynix will be the industry’s second semiconductor manufacturer to mass produce 48-layered 3D NAND flash memories following Samsung Electronics Co., which began mass producing the high-performance memories chip in August.

3D NAND, which is used in many consumer electronics and applications, stacks memory cells vertically, and therefore, boasts faster speed and enhanced durability. It also reduces energy consumption and is less volatile. However, developing and mass producing 3D NAND flash memories has been considered a challenge for many chipmakers as it requires high technical skills. Samsung Electronics has been the only manufacturer and provider of 3D NAND chips.

Along with SK Hynix, competitors like Toshiba Corp. and Micron Technology Inc. are also on their way to mass produce 3D NAND flash memories.

By: DocMemory
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