Rumor
Samsung accelerates V9 NAND production at Xi'an plant amid supply shortages
Sunday, March 29, 2026 at 09:16 AM
Samsung is reportedly accelerating the deployment of its 9th-generation V-NAND (286-layer) technology to its manufacturing facility in Xi'an, China. This move represents a shift in the company's original roadmap, which did not initially include an early introduction of V9 at this site, and is likely driven by current supply shortages in the NAND market.
Context
In a strategic pivot to address a global memory supply crisis, Samsung Electronics is accelerating the deployment of its 9th-generation (V9) NAND technology at its Xi'an, China production facility. Originally slated for a more gradual rollout, the transition to 286-layer V9 NAND—available in both TLC and high-capacity QLC variants—comes as the company faces a structural imbalance in the memory market. With massive production capacity shifted toward HBM and server DRAM to fuel the AI boom, Samsung has seen NAND supply tighten significantly, leading to reported contract price increases of over 100% in early 2026.
The investment in the Xi'an plant, which accounts for approximately 40% of Samsung's total NAND output, rose by 67.5% year-over-year to 465.4 billion won ($308.8 million) in 2025. By upgrading these existing lines to V9 architecture, Samsung aims to bypass the three-to-five-year lead times required for new greenfield fabs. This acceleration is critical for maintaining leadership in the enterprise SSD market, where rivals like SK Hynix have already begun mass production of 321-layer QLC products to meet the storage demands of AI inference and data centers.
Sources (10)
Samsung Begins Industry’s First Mass Production of QLC 9th-Gen V-NAND for AI Era – Samsung Global NewsroomSamsung Electronics Begins Industry's First Mass Production of 9th-Gen V-NAND | Samsung Semiconductor GlobalSamsung said to mass produce over-300-layer 3D NAND ...South Korean chip giants step up China investments to combat global AI memory shortage | South China Morning PostSamsung, SK Hynix Pour 1.5 Trillion Won Into China Plants ...Samsung Electronics' NAND flash memory production capacity ...NAND Flash's Reversal of Fortune Amid the AI Boom - EE Times[News] Samsung Reportedly Delays V9 QLC NAND to 1H26 as SK hynix Hits 321 Layers in August
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