SK Hynix is Developing New Technology “AIP” to Reduce NAND Manufacturing Cost

According to Korean media reports, SK Hynix is developing an innovative technology called "AIP (All-In-Plug)" to mitigate cost increases caused by the rising number of stacked layers.

It is reported that the increasing number of HARC etching processes required to achieve high-layer NAND is the primary factor driving up manufacturing costs. Traditional manufacturing methods require etching multiple NAND layers separately and then connecting them through bonding processes. SK Hynix’s latest-generation 321-layer NAND flash also employs the "triple-stack" process, which involves three etching steps. Although the three-step etching approach is beneficial for the stability of NAND manufacturing, it is not cost-effective and efficient in production due to the need for three separate etching operations.

However, the innovative technology "AIP" which is developing by SK Hynix enables HARC etching on high-density NAND flash with over 300 layers in a single process. It aims to significantly reduce manufacturing costs by etching all NAND layers in one step. If this technology is implemented in mass production, it is expected that both the number of HARC processes and associated costs will be substantially reduced starting from the next generation of NAND flash, such as V11.