The Seoul Economic Daily reports SK Hynix subsidiary Solidigm is weighing the construction of its first US NAND fabrication plant as AI demand surges. Meanwhile, SK Hynix has disclosed further details about its US AI Co operation, which will be launched under the name "SK hynix Ventures."
Solidigm manufactures NAND chips at a former Intel factory in Dalian, China now operated by SK Hynix, adopting technology distinct from SK Hynix: floating gate instead of charge trap. Its 3D NAND stack also has fewer layers at 192, compared with SK Hynix’s 321 and 375 layers and other competitors. Upgrades to cutting-edge NAND technology are hampered by US tech export restrictions into China. In August, SK Hynix was expanding Dalian output by building a second fab there, though it limits local NAND technology to the 100-layer class, while deploying more advanced 375-layer NAND at its South Korean plant. This month rumors emerged regarding a Solidigm US IPO, which would bring extra capital to Solidigm if realized.
Solidigm maintains US sales, marketing, and R&D operations at Rancho Cordova in California. Korean industry sources state Solidigm is evaluating potential locations and reviewing terms for an east coast US fab, possibly in upstate New York.
A SK Hynix spokesperson commented: "Solidigm is reviewing various options to strengthen its competitiveness, but nothing has been finalized.”
The Trump administration aims to expand domestic memory chip manufacturing in the US. SK Hynix is investing roughly $4 billion (₩5.35 trillion) to build a high bandwidth memory (HBM) packaging facility in West Lafayette, Indiana. Its chairman Chey Tae-won noted US customers expect the firm to operate fabs within America. Reports indicate the company may even outsource some DRAM production to Intel in the US.
SK Hynix has generated strong revenue from its HBM and DRAM chips and continues expanding fab capacity for these products as well as NAND amid the ongoing AI processing boom. The whole industry faces sustained undersupply across all three chip categories, and Chey Tae-won forecasts this imbalance will last until 2030, when supply and demand may reach equilibrium.
Building a US fab for Solidigm would unlock access to the latest manufacturing technology unavailable to its Dalian site. One drawback is higher production costs for US chip fabrication relative to facilities in Korea and China.
Still, the plan would earn favor with the US government. Since Solidigm operates with partial separation from SK Hynix, it may also ease concerns from Korean authorities over SK Hynix eroding its domestic industrial base. This is further helped by the fact NAND carries less importance for AI workloads compared with HBM and DRAM. As mentioned earlier, a Solidigm US IPO could supply funding for factory construction.
SK Hynix rolled out its corporate venture capital (CVC) brand SK Hynix Ventures, designed to broaden strategic partnerships across the global AI ecosystem and secure next-generation innovative technologies. The firm hosted the first “SK Hynix Ventures Day” event in Silicon Valley for venture capitalists and startup representatives. Its investment priorities cover AI computing, data center infrastructure, system software and optical interconnect technologies. Solidigm entered the AI computer vision market back in March. The upcoming US entity was previously referenced in earlier announcements and will hold ownership of Solidigm’s US business.
This new venture builds upon SK Hynix’s existing corporate ventures team. SK Hynix CEO Kwak Noh-jung stated: "Competitiveness in the AI era stems not just from rapidly securing innovative technologies, but from ecosystem capabilities where customers, partners, and startups create new value together. Through SK Hynix Ventures, we will support the growth of promising companies and grow into a global partner that jointly designs the future of AI infrastructure based on strategic investments and technological cooperation."
Beijing Qianxing Jietong Technology Co., Ltd.
Sandy Yang/Global Strategy Director
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