Samsung Xi’an · 三星（中国）半导体有限公司
Samsung Electronics | Memory
Samsung’s largest NAND flash site outside South Korea and a major share of its total NAND output (domestic Korean reporting put it around 40%) — the single biggest reminder that ‘China’s semiconductor sector’ includes large-scale foreign-owned manufacturing on Chinese soil, not only domestic Chinese firms. Samsung reported a 67.5% year-on-year increase in Xi’an investment in its 2025 business report.
Chinese name: 三星（中国）半导体有限公司 (Sānxīng (Zhōngguó) Bàndǎotǐ Yǒuxiàn Gōngsī)
What does this facility make?
3D NAND flash memory wafers; the fab has progressed from 128-layer (V6, now phased out) to 236-layer (V8, in mass production as of early 2026), with 286-layer V9 production targeted for later in 2026.
Why does it matter?
A test case for how far US export controls reach into foreign multinationals’ own China operations: Samsung ships significantly more semiconductor product to China than to the US by value, and continues to operate and upgrade Xi’an under an annual US tool-export licensing regime (replacing an earlier open-ended waiver) rather than a blanket ban.
Key Facts
| Company | Samsung Electronics |
| Type | Memory |
| Category | Foreign-Invested |
| Capability | 3D NAND flash memory, 12-inch (300mm) wafers |
| Status | Operational |
| Capacity | Not yet recorded |
| Investment | Not disclosed |
| Funding Source | Foreign |
| Location | Xi’an, Shaanxi |
| Current Node | 236-layer 3D NAND (V8) |
| Entity List | No |
| Equipment Origin | Not yet assessed |
| Last Verified | Not recorded (newest source dated Aug 2026) |
Technical Complexity
4.4/5
Technology Node Trajectory
- 2026: 236-layer 3D NAND (V8)
Project Timeline
- Mar 2026 — Reported to be advancing Xi’an to 236-layer (V8) NAND in mass production
- May 2026 — Reported to begin cleanroom build-out for V9 NAND infrastructure following the V8 ramp and V6 phase-out
Sources
- Samsung Reportedly Advances Xi’an to 236-Layer NAND; SK hynix Eyes Dalian Upgrade Amid Tight Supply (TrendForce) (30 Mar 2026)
- Memory Giants’ China Investments Soar in 2025: Samsung Xi’an Up 67.5%, SK hynix Wuxi, Dalian Hit Trillion-Won (TrendForce) (27 Mar 2026)
- Samsung Shipped $12.7B More Chips to China Than US in H1; Xi’an Fab Annual US License Deadline Looms (Tech Times) (15 Aug 2026)