TOKYO (XFN-ASIA) - Toshiba Corp has decided to lift production of its 56-nanometer NAND memory chips three months ahead of schedule in a bid to address plunging prices, the Nikkei reported, without citing sources.
Originally, Toshiba had planned to gradually raise the share of 56nm chips to 50 pct by the end of the year, the business paper said.
The company began cranking out the chips in January at its key plant in Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, which currently produces mostly 70nm chips.
Producing the smaller chips costs about 40 pct less than making the 70nm versions.
At the same time, Toshiba will also overhaul equipment and procedures at its fourth domestic memory chip plant, which is slated to begin operations this fall, in a bid to hike monthly production capacity there to 200,000 chips, 40 pct higher than its earlier plan, the Nikkei said.
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