TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwanese companies stand to benefit as Samsung Electronics accelerates its exit from the multi-level cell NAND flash storage market.

Samsung recently informed customers it will accept new MLC NAND orders until June, while raising prices to discourage additional purchases. Industry sources reveal Samsung had planned to exit the MLC NAND segment later this year, but has moved the timeline up and will cease production once existing inventory is depleted, UDN money reported.

This accelerated withdrawal has spurred increased demand for MLC NAND, creating opportunities for Taiwanese firms such as Phison Electronics, Macronix, Adata, and Transcend to fill the supply gap.

NAND flash memory, named after the “Not And” logic gate, is a type of non-volatile storage commonly used in USB drives, SD cards, and solid-state drives. MLC NAND offers a balance between performance and cost, making it a popular choice for consumer products.

South Korean media outlet The Elec reports that Samsung’s decision has led at least one customer to seek alternative suppliers. LG Display is also reportedly searching for another MLC NAND supplier to replace Samsung.

The major current suppliers of MLC NAND flash include Samsung, Micron, SK Hynix, Kioxia, and Taiwan’s Macronix. Among them, Macronix is expected to benefit significantly, continuing to produce both single-level cell and MLC NAND products.

While the market shifts toward quad-level cell technology as the mainstream, MLC NAND remains favored for its superior stability. It continues to play a key role in high-margin niche applications, including industrial devices, Internet of Things products, televisions, and automotive electronics.

NAND flash stores data in memory cells that can hold multiple bits. Variants such as SLC, MLC, TLC, and QLC differ primarily in the number of bits stored per cell.