SK hynix begins mass production of 321-layer QLC NAND flash

SK hynix announced that it has completed development of a 321-layer 2 Tb QLC NAND flash product and has begun mass production. The company said this is the world’s first implementation of more than 300 layers using QLC technology, which it framed as a new benchmark in NAND density. SK hynix plans a product release in the first half of next year following completion of global customer validation.

To improve cost competitiveness, SK hynix developed the device at a 2 Tb capacity, described as double the capacity of existing solutions. The company emphasized that the higher per-die capacity is intended to lower cost per bit and position the product for wider commercial adoption once customer validation is complete.

SK hynix also addressed potential performance concerns that can accompany larger-capacity NAND by increasing the number of planes per chip from four to six. The firm said the additional planes allow greater parallel processing within the die and significantly enhance simultaneous read performance. The mass production announcement signals SK hynix has moved beyond development and into volume manufacturing while it completes the customer validation phase prior to market launch.