Samsung is expanding its alliance with Nvidia by supplying cutting edge NAND flash memory for next generation artificial intelligence storage systems. According to industry reports from Seoul, the technology giant has begun mass producing its 10th generation V NAND and is already delivering shipments to the US chip designer. This latest venture builds upon their existing partnerships in DRAM, high bandwidth memory, and foundry services.
The sudden demand for high capacity SSD storage is fueled by Nvidia's upcoming Context Memory Storage platform, known as CMX. This system houses 576 SSDs to deliver 9600 TB of capacity, designed to handle the massive volumes of text data generated during AI inference. To meet this surge, Samsung shifted 60% of its monthly 100,000 sheet V NAND production capacity to 9th generation V9 chips, while dropping older 8th generation production below 40%. The company expects its total NAND output to reach 250,000,000 TB this year, positioning it as a primary supplier for the CMX rollout.
Samsung is pushing technical boundaries by ramping up 10th generation V10 chips, which make up about 5% of its current NAND output. With a stack height of 400 layers, V10 offers over 50% higher storage density than the 286 layer V9 chip. The team is also test producing a 500 layer V11 chip and intends to double test volumes later this year to secure yield data. For the first time in the industry, V10 replaces tungsten wiring with molybdenum, reducing circuit thickness by 30% to 40% to prevent performance loss.
Executive leadership is moving quickly to solidify these supply agreements. Samsung Chairman Lee Jae yong plans to meet Nvidia chief Jensen Huang in San Francisco this week to negotiate contract details. Their discussions will cover the supply of HBM, next generation NAND, and potential collaborations regarding upcoming data centers planned for Gwangju. The meeting highlights how deeply integrated the 두 giants have become across the entire semiconductor landscape.
At the same time, South Korean substrate maker Haesung DS has secured a major new client in China. The company passed quality tests to supply DDR5 package substrates to ChangXin Memory Technologies, the largest DRAM producer in China. Shipments began earlier this year, with a larger volume expansion projected for 2027. To prepare for the future, Haesung DS is considering a shift from its traditional Reel to Reel manufacturing method to a panel production style, which is better suited for high layer count DDR6 substrates expected later this decade.
Financial results reflect the rapid growth of the substrate business. Haesung DS recorded first quarter consolidated revenue of 188.7 billion KRW, marking a 37% increase compared to last year. Operating profit reached 11 billion KRW, representing a massive 2995% surge over the same period.
