Toshiba Memory and Western Digital open new facilities in Japan

New data center facilities in Japan have launched in Japan with the intent to meet relentless demand.

Toshiba Memory Corporation and Western Digital Corporation today celebrated the launch of a new semiconductor fabrication facility (Fab 6) and the Memory R-D Centre at Yokkaichi operations in Mie Prefecture, Japan.

"We are excited about opportunities to expand the market for our latest generation of 3D flash memory," says Toshiba Memory president and CEO Dr. Yasuo Naruke.

"Fab 6 and Memory R-D Centre enable us to maintain our position as a leading player in the 3D flash memory market. We are confident that our joint venture with Western Digital will allow us to continue producing leading edge memories at Yokkaichi."

Construction of Fab 6, a dedicated 3D flash memory fabrication facility, began way back in February 2017. During this process both companies have implemented new cutting-edge manufacturing equipment for key production processes like deposition and etching.

Earlier this month Fab 6 produced its first offering with the facility now mass producing 96-layer 3D flash memory.

Dr Naruke is confident demand for 3D flash memory will continue to grow in the years ahead across enterprise servers, data centers, and smartphones. The company will be making further investments in the industry in line with market trends.

Earlier this year the Memory R-D Centre began operations directly adjacent to Fab 6, with the goal to explore and promote advances in 3D flash memory development.

"We are pleased to be opening Fab 6 and the Memory R-D Centre with our valued partner Toshiba Memory. For nearly two decades, the successful collaboration between our companies has fostered growth and innovation of NAND flash technology," says Western Digital CEO Steve Milligan.

"We are ramping production of 96-layer 3D NAND to address the full range of end market opportunities from consumer and mobile applications to cloud data centers. Fab 6 is a cutting-edge facility that will enable us to further our technology and cost leadership position in the industry."

The two companies asserts their partnership will continue with the intent to cultivate the memory business by actively developing initiatives aimed at strengthening competitiveness, advancing joint development of 3D flash memory, and making capital investments according to market trends.