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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Macronix’s 2018 low-cost 3D NAND proposal had two stages: add capacity for conventional 3D NAND, then introduce a new architecture that the company said could cut cost per bit by 30%. Later company reports say Macronix developed and mass-produced proprietary 3D NAND, and its 2024 reports still list newer-generation projects. They do not confirm that the proposed 30% cost reduction was achieved or that the original launch timetable was met.
What did Macronix propose in 2018?
In September 2018, Macronix founder Miin Wu described a three-year effort to enter the 3D NAND market and expand the company’s wafer capacity. The initial target was an additional 50,000 12-inch-equivalent wafers per month, first used to make conventional 3D NAND. Once it had built a customer base, the company planned to ramp a different architecture that it said would lower cost per bit by 30%. These were company targets reported by EE Times, not independently verified production or cost results.
Wu said the initial capacity could make the business competitive, but that achieving a full return on investment would require multiples of that capacity and further expansion. The proposal therefore depended on more than bringing a new chip design to market: it also needed substantial manufacturing scale and customer uptake.
The proposed sequence
- Build capacity: add 50,000 12-inch-equivalent wafers per month, as reported in 2018.
- Start with conventional 3D NAND: use the initial production stage to establish a customer base.
- Introduce the new architecture: ramp the design Macronix claimed could reduce cost per bit by 30%.
- Expand further: add capacity beyond the initial target to pursue the company’s full return on investment.
The 2018 report said Macronix was discussing etch equipment with manufacturers and targeted first chips in a little more than two years, assuming execution and customer adoption went well. Wu also said Macronix expected to make its own controllers. That timeline was a forecast, not evidence of a completed launch.
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What did the 30% claim mean?
The proposed 30% reduction was a target for cost per bit in the novel architecture. It was not a promise that retail NAND prices would be 30% lower, nor a published comparison showing that a Macronix product had reached that cost. Cost per bit is a manufacturing-economic measure; the price a customer pays also depends on market conditions, product configuration, supply and commercial terms.
Macronix presented its Single-Gate Vertical Channel architecture at IEDM. The public evidence summarized here identifies that architecture by name but does not establish its detailed implementation, a verified cost result, or an exact commercial product tied to the 30% target. It is safest to treat the figure as a historical company claim rather than a current product specification.
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Did Macronix ever make 3D NAND?
Yes. Macronix’s 2024 sustainability report says the company developed and mass-produced proprietary 3D NAND Flash. Its 2024 annual report lists projects for third- and fourth-generation 3D NAND Flash, as well as an eMMC control-chip project for 3D NAND. Those later disclosures show that the company’s 3D NAND program continued beyond the 2018 proposal.
| Milestone | What the source establishes |
|---|---|
| September 2018 proposal | EE Times reported a planned 50,000 additional 12-inch-equivalent wafers per month, a later architecture with a claimed 30% lower cost per bit, and a first-chip target in a little more than two years. |
| 2024 annual report | Macronix listed third- and fourth-generation 3D NAND projects and an eMMC control-chip project under new-product development. |
| 2024 sustainability report | Macronix said it had developed and mass-produced proprietary 3D NAND Flash. |
The later reports do not verify the precise 30% cost goal, the original first-chip forecast, the extra capacity target, broad market adoption, or which products used the architecture presented at IEDM. They support the conclusion that Macronix developed and produced 3D NAND, but not that every element of the 2018 business plan happened as proposed.
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- Improve Performance: Optimizing SATA 3.0 technology to boost read/write speed up to 450MB/s and 350MB/s, this internal SSD offers blazing-fast performance to upgrade your computer, speed up data transfer, accelerate boot time and improve game responsiveness
- Widely Compatible: This standard SATA III 2.5” internal solid state drive widely supports Windows, Linux and Mac OS, and is backward compatible with SATA 2.0 and 1.0, giving significant improvement for your desktops, PCs and laptops
- Reliable & Durable: Utilizing superior flash memory chips coupled with top-quality ABS casing, this SSD internal hard drive features excellent heat dissipation, less power consumption and outstanding shock resistance, offering extraordinary durability and reliability
- Versatile Use: This SATA 3 SSD hard drive uses advanced 3D NANA technology to upgrade your PC performance, ideal for gaming, data analysis, graphic design, video editing and multitasking for everyday users and creators
- What You Get: 1 x 128GB Internal Solid State Drive, 1 x User Manual and Lifetime Technology Support; Note: Testing speed with CrystalDiskMark software will be more accurate
Why was the low-cost plan difficult?
Macronix entered a market where major suppliers—including Samsung, Toshiba, Micron, SK hynix and Yangtze Memory Technologies—were competing on scale and NAND density. The 2018 report also described declining NAND average selling prices: Jim Handy of Objective Analysis cited a fall from 27 cents per gigabyte to 20 cents per gigabyte. That was period-specific market context, not a current price quotation.
The proposed economics carried two linked risks. First, a lower cost per bit would have to be realized in production, not just in a design claim. Second, the company would need enough capacity and customers to spread investment across sufficient output. That could be a difficult shift for a company historically associated with a high-mix, low-volume model. Handy also saw a possible opening in lower-density parts that large suppliers might discontinue, especially during shortages; this was an analyst’s view of a potential niche, not evidence of Macronix sales.
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- Improve Performance: Optimizing SATA 3.0 technology to boost read/write speed up to 550MB/s and 500MB/s, this internal SSD offers blazing-fast performance to upgrade your computer, speed up data transfer, accelerate boot time and improve game responsiveness
- Widely Compatible: This standard SATA III 2.5” internal solid state drive widely supports Windows, Linux and Mac OS, and is backward compatible with SATA 2.0 and 1.0, giving significant improvement for your desktops, PCs and laptops
- Reliable & Durable: Utilizing superior flash memory chips coupled with top-quality ABS casing, this SSD internal hard drive features excellent heat dissipation, less power consumption and outstanding shock resistance, offering extraordinary durability and reliability
- Versatile Use: This SATA 3 SSD hard drive uses advanced 3D NANA technology to upgrade your PC performance, ideal for gaming, data analysis, graphic design, video editing and multitasking for everyday users and creators
- What You Get: 1 x 1TB Internal Solid State Drive,1 x User Manual and Technology Support; Note:Testing speed with CrystalDiskMark software will be more accurate
Handy estimated the 2018 flash market at $58 billion, up 23% from 2017. That estimate helps explain the appeal of entering NAND, but market growth alone could not resolve the scale, pricing and adoption challenges facing the plan.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Can you buy Macronix NAND chips?
Macronix’s public product catalog clearly lists SLC NAND and Serial NAND. It identifies MX35L 3V and MX35U 1.8V Serial NAND families at 1Gb–2Gb densities with an industry-standard SPI interface. The catalog information does not identify a clearly labeled retail SSD or consumer memory-card product, nor does it establish a purchasable part number for the low-cost 3D NAND architecture described in 2018.
For an engineering design or replacement, start with the exact Macronix part number and verify its package, operating voltage, density, interface, availability and qualification fit with the manufacturer or distributor. A family-level match is not enough to establish pin, firmware or lifecycle compatibility with an existing design.
Lifecycle support
Macronix’s Product Longevity Program says selected Serial NOR, Parallel NOR and NAND products can be available for up to 10 years. The program also specifies one year of end-of-life notification and an additional year for final shipment. This applies to selected products under the program; it is not a guarantee that every NAND part will remain available for that period.
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