In Samsung Electronics’s Mobile Forum held yesterday, sampling of next generation NAND Flash 42nm process technology was revealed to be available in advance in late May and the volume production will start in 3Q, attempting to compete with Toshiba. At present, SanDisk and Toshiba camp develop fastest in the 40nm generation process with their 43nm process planed to enter volume production before the end of Q2. Meanwhile, Hynix’s 48nm process and Intel & Micron camp’s 35nm process are predicted to start volume production in Q3. As a result, the capacity of the four NAND Flash camps will be boosted together after Q3, industry worried that price war will be brought on to replay at that time.

However, whether the process will be carried through according to their plans is still a question. Previously in the advancing process of 50nm technology, as it is difficult raise the yield rate, the original planed schedules were postponed over and over again. So whether the volume production of under 40nm process will be carried through successfully still await observation.

But industry makers are all the same worried, if next generation process was progressed as originally planed and enter volume production in Q3, price war is very like to be brought on in the NAND Flash market.

At present, leading NAND Flash makers’ output is not too large, and Apple also starts stock up in May, but the demand in the market is very low. It is still unsure whether demand will recover in Q3.