Intel is getting more serious about NAND memory as the company plans to spend over US $3.5 billion to convert one of its chip plants in China to create flash memory.

While it will take several years to carry out the current plan, Intel plans to convert the plant in Dalian, China, which opened back in 2010, to produce flash memory chips. Currently, Intel is tied up in NAND flash business in a joint venture with Micron, which chips power current Intel SSDs.

The new move by Intel will have a significant impact on both Micron as well as the NAND market in general as Intel certainly has both the funds and factories to become a significant player on the NAND market.

Intel's re-purposed Dalian plant is expected to begin production of 3D NAND memory chips sometime in the second half of 2016. According to Intel's Senior Vice President and General Manager of non-volatile memory, Rob Crooke, Intel's total investment in the new plant could end up to be as high as US $5.5 billion over the next five years.

The new plant will also focus on production of the recently announced 3D XPoint chips as well as standard NAND chips.



Source: Intel.com.