[News] SK hynix Set to Finalize Intel’s NAND Acquisition in March, Boosting eSSD Market Position

Despite the market downturn, SK hynix, a leader in the HBM sector, is expanding into the NAND business. According to Business Korea, the company is set to complete its $8.844 billion acquisition of Intel’s NAND business in March, aiming to strengthen its position in the global NAND market, particularly in enterprise SSDs.

As per the report, SK hynix announced the acquisition in October 2020, the largest M&A by a South Korean company. By the end of 2021, it completed the first phase, paying $6.609 billion for Intel’s SSD business. Notably, this phase helped integrate Intel’s NAND design, R&D, and production teams into SK hynix, including key assets like Intel’s Chinese factories, the report indicates.

While the new entity was then branded “Solidigm,” the final $2.235 billion payment next month will give SK hynix full control over Intel’s NAND operations, the report adds.

The NAND competition has been heating up indeed. Japan’s Kioxia, in partnership with Sandisk, has introduced its 10^th gen 332-layer NAND, as per its press release. On the other hand, China’s Yangtze Memory Technologies Co. (YMTC), is rumored to have kick off shipping its 5th-generation 3D NAND memory, featuring a total of 294 layers, as per Tom’s Hardware.

In terms of Samsung, which is now on its ninth-generation 3D NAND with 286 layers, is said to be developing 400-layer technology, according to Blocks and Files.

In 2024, SK hynix’s NAND division hit a record 19.106 trillion won in revenue, up from 5 trillion won in 2019. The Business Korea report notes that with heavy investments in data centers from companies like Google and Meta, demand for enterprise SSDs is on the rise. With the acquisition complete, SK hynix plans to capitalize on this trend and Intel’s IP and R&D resources to stay competitive, the report suggests.

Read more

• [News] Samsung and SK hynix Reportedly to Cut NAND Production by 10% in Q1 Amid Tech Migration
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(Photo credit: SK hynix)