SK Hynix to build new NAND flash fab in Cheongju

This is a part of a mid/long-term investment plan that SK Hynix declared back in August 2015 at the M14 completion ceremony. At that time, the company said it could spend KRW 46 trillion (EUR 36.55 billion) to set up 3 new fab’s in Icheon and Cheongju including the M14. The new fab will be located in a Cheongju Technopolis site. SK Hynix starts a design within next month then begins construction of the shell and the cleanroom in August 2017 – to be completed in June 2019 – with a total investment of KRW 2.2 trillion (EUR 1.74 billion). Equipment installation into the fab shall be decided considering market conditions as well as the company’s migration plans, SK writes in a press statement. SK has been expanding its NAND Flash manufacturing fab in Cheongju since the completion back in 2008. Plus, the company will start to utilise the upper floor of the M14 to manufacture 3D NAND Flash from next year. Nevertheless, in order to grow further, SK found it important to secure production facilities in advance to deal with NAND Flash market growth. Additionally, considering it takes more than two years normally to build a semiconductor fab, the company determined to build the additional fab as a result. “The new FAB to be constructed in Cheongju will become a part of our key production facilities to gear up for the upcoming fourth industrial revolution,” said Sung Wook Park, CEO of SK Hynix, “Sincerely appreciate great assistance from the National, Chungcheongbuk-do and Cheongju government officials in the construction of the new FAB at a proper time,” he added. Meanwhile, SK Hynix plans to invest additionally in present Wuxi DRAM FAB to maintain its competitiveness in productivity.