SK Hynix will restart its Dalian Fab 2 in H2 2026, targeting 30,000-50,000 wafers monthly with V8 production lines, while Samsung completed its Xi'an fab conversion to V8 by end of March and is now in mass production. SK Hynix Dalian will invest 440.6 billion Korean won in 2025, up 52% YoY, and Samsung Xi'an will invest approximately $304 million, up 67.5% YoY. This acceleration is partly due to NAND contract prices skyrocketing over 70% QoQ in Q2, and the US VEU export control process shifting to annual batch approvals.
Korean NAND manufacturers are rapidly expanding V8 capacity in China, signaling a concentrated demand surge for deposition, etch, and inspection equipment beyond current sell-side models.