The Marketing Minute: Marketing With Layers
The Right Approach: Electro-Tek—A Williams Family Legacy, Part 1
It’s Only Common Sense: If You’re Not Differentiated, You’re Dead
Flash Memory Remains Primary Target for Capex Spending
January 15, 2019 | IC InsightsEstimated reading time: 1 minute
The semiconductor industry is expected to allocate the largest portion of its capex spending for flash memory again in 2019, marking the third consecutive year that flash has led all other segments in spending. Flash memory trailed the foundry segment in capex in 2016, but took an extra-large jump in 2017, growing 92% to $27.6 billion and increased another 16% to $31.9 billion in 2018 as manufacturers expanded and upgraded their production lines for 3D NAND to meet growing demand. With much of the expansion now completed or expected to be wrapped up in 2019, flash capex is forecast to decline 18% this year to $26.0 billion, which still is a very healthy spending level.
- In 2018, SK Hynix completed and opened M15 its new wafer fab facility in Cheongju, South Korea. First devices produced from the factory were 72-layer 3D NAND flash.
- Micron allocated significant resources to upgrade its two existing flash fabs in Singapore and broke ground on construction of a third NAND wafer fab there.
- Toshiba Memory completed construction of a new 300mm wafer plant (Fab 6) at its Yokkaichi site in 1H18. Operations at Phase 1 of the facility are expected to begin in early 2019. Also, Toshiba announced that its next flash memory fab after Fab 6 would be located in Kitakami, Iwate. The company broke ground on this fab in July 2018.
- XMC/Yangtze River Storage Technology (YMTC), which is owned by Tsinghua Unigroup, completed construction of its new fab, installed equipment, and began small-volume production of 32-layer 3D NAND flash.
- Samsung and all of the other “legacy” flash suppliers are well aware of the big plans that China has to be a player in the 3D NAND flash market. Samsung will continue to invest heavily to stay far ahead of existing competitors or new startups and maintain its competitive edge against any who think they can wrestle marketshare away. Samsung spent $13.0 billion on flash capex in 2017 and $9.0 billion in 2018, accounting for 28% of the total $31.9 billion in flash memory capital spending last year. IC Insights estimates Samsung will spend another $7.0 billion for flash capex in 2019.
Share on:
Testimonial
"In a year when every marketing dollar mattered, I chose to keep I-Connect007 in our 2025 plan. Their commitment to high-quality, insightful content aligns with Koh Young’s values and helps readers navigate a changing industry. "
Brent Fischthal - Koh YoungSuggested Items
Nvidia, Microsoft, and BlackRock Lead $40 Billion Deal to Acquire Aligned Data Centers
10/16/2025 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamA consortium including Nvidia, Microsoft, BlackRock, and Elon Musk’s xAI has agreed to buy Aligned Data Centers in a deal valued at about $40 billion, marking one of the largest-ever data infrastructure acquisitions as tech giants race to expand capacity for artificial intelligence, the Associated Press reported on Oct. 14
India’s Aerospace and Defence Engineered for Power, Driven by Electronics
09/16/2025 | Gaurab Majumdar, Global Electronics AssociationWith a defence budget of $82.05 billion (2025–26) and a massive $223 billion earmarked for aerospace and defence spending over the next decade, India is rapidly positioning itself as a major player in the global defence and aerospace market.
Alphabet Boosted by AI, Cloud Demand as Spending Needs Jump
07/24/2025 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamGoogle’s parent company, Alphabet Inc., said that demand for artificial intelligence products boosted its quarterly sales, and now requires an extreme increase in capital spending to keep up in the AI race, Bloomberg reported. For 2025, the company stated its capital expenditure will be $85 billion—$10 billion more than previously forecast.
Report: Broadcom Scraps $1 Billion Chip Investment in Spain
07/15/2025 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamAmerican chipmaker Broadcom has pulled out of plans to invest in a microchip plant in Spain. According to a July 14 Reuters report, Europa Press, quoting anonymous sources, stated the action followed collapsed government talks but gave no further information.
Wolfspeed Stock Soars After Filing for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
07/01/2025 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamOn July 1, Wolfspeed shares doubled following the company’s announcement on June 30 that it had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.