SK Hynix has started mass production of 321-layer NAND flash memory chips, pushing beyond the 300-layer barrier in storage technology. The South Korean memory maker developed a new “3 plugs” process and specialized materials to enable the vertical stacking breakthrough.
The latest chips, which store three bits per cell, deliver 12% faster data transfer speeds and 13% better reading performance compared to previous versions. Power efficiency for data reading improved by more than 10%, the company said.
The advancement follows SK Hynix’s introduction of 238-layer NAND chips in June 2023. By maintaining the same development platform while moving to 321 layers, the company achieved a 59% productivity improvement.
Production will begin ramping up in the first half of 2025, with initial shipments targeting artificial intelligence applications that demand high performance and low power consumption. The company’s head of NAND development indicated the new chips will strengthen SK Hynix’s position in both data center and on-device AI storage markets.
The memory maker aims to complement its existing DRAM business, particularly its High Bandwidth Memory products, as it pursues a larger role in AI-focused semiconductors.
