Kioxia has begun mass production of its 10th-generation BiCS FLASH memory chip at its Kitakami plant as of July 3, 2026, targeting demand from AI data centers and enterprise SSDs. The new chip delivers 33% faster interface speed compared to the prior generation and is being produced alongside earlier-generation chips to balance capacity and cost. Japan's government is supporting the expansion with over 370 billion yen in subsidies approved in June 2026.
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Kioxia began production of its 10th-generation BiCS FLASH memory chip at its K2 facility in Kitakami on July 3, 2026. The new chip features a 1Tb TLC (Triple-Level-Cell) design and will also be produced at the Sandisk facility. K2 is now producing both 8th and 10th-generation BiCS FLASH chips.
Why it matters
The 10th-generation chip is designed to serve enterprise data centers and SSDs, and the company sees strong demand from AI applications alongside other enterprise and edge AI uses. By ramping 10th-generation production at K2 alongside 8th-generation output, Kioxia aims to meet growing demand in AI infrastructure while maintaining cost competitiveness.
What to watch
The 10th-generation BiCS FLASH achieves a NAND interface speed of 33% faster than the 8th-generation (4.8 Gbps), and Kioxia plans to expand production to a second manufacturing building at K2. Japan's government approved 370 billion yen in subsidies in June 2026, with an additional 68 billion yen planned through fiscal 2040.
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