SK Hynix's NAND business is under pressure: 176-layer products account for more than half, lagging behind competitors like Samsung

According to South Korean media Chosun Biz, SK Hynix's NAND is lagging in the transition of old process lines, making it difficult to narrow the efficiency gap. As of the second quarter of this year, its 176-layer products still account for about 50%, while Samsung has completed the transition mainly to 236 layers. Omdia data shows that Micron's 232-layer products account for 53%, and YMTC reaches 68%.

During the rising cycle of NAND prices, companies with a higher proportion of advanced processes see better cost and profit improvements. SK Hynix (including Solidigm) saw its NAND revenue share drop from 21.4% in the fourth quarter of last year to 16.4% in the first quarter of this year, while YMTC increased from 11.5% to 16.2%. SK Hynix prioritizes equipment investment in DRAM and HBM, with NAND investments decreasing for three consecutive years, from $3.5 billion in 2023 to $2.9 billion in 2025, slowing down the transition. It is currently considering impairing old NAND assets to optimize costs.