SK Hynix Races Samsung to 400+ Layer NAND, but Must Abandon Tungsten Entirely as Stacking Hits a Material Wall - Wccftech

SK Hynix is accelerating the mass production of its 375-layer NAND flash, expected to begin by end of 2026. While approaching the 400-layer milestone, the company faces material limitations—particular... Read original →

SK Hynix’s forced pivot from tungsten to molybdenum in >400-layer NAND isn’t just a material swap—it destabilizes the entire front-end process stack, demanding recalibration of deposition and etch tools. Upstream suppliers face urgent qualification cycles, while controller designers must preempt higher parasitic capacitance. Geopolitically, molybdenum’s concentrated supply (U.S., Chile, China) risks export controls, potentially inflating inventory costs by over 15%. Samsung’s 1,000-layer dual-stack approach sidesteps single-stack material limits but faces steeper yield hurdles. Within 18 months, R&D leadership will shift to those controlling ultra-high-purity Mo sputtering targets and ALD precursors. Without long-term molybdenum supply pacts, both Korean and Taiwan, China fabs risk capacity bottlenecks post-2027 as global demand triples.