WS Investor
29 Sep 2026, 20:18
Applied Materials and KIOXIA Partner to Advance Next-Generation AI Memory Technology
Applied Materials and KIOXIA have formed a new R&D partnership at Applied’s EPIC Center in Silicon Valley to develop next-generation memory technologies for AI infrastructure.
The collaboration will focus on advanced memory-cell structures, multi-chip stacking, advanced packaging and new materials engineering approaches designed to improve memory density, bandwidth and energy efficiency.
KIOXIA will join Applied Materials’ expanding EPIC Center ecosystem, which includes chipmakers, designers, equipment partners and universities. The companies plan to work side by side on technologies that can move more quickly from early-stage development into high-volume manufacturing.
A key focus will be stacked memory architectures, where higher levels of integration are needed to improve performance while managing space, cost and manufacturing complexity. The companies will also work on materials and process innovations intended to support commercial-scale production.
Applied Materials said the partnership should give KIOXIA earlier access to its R&D portfolio while allowing both companies to shorten learning cycles and accelerate commercialization of new memory technologies.
The collaboration also strengthens the strategic role of Applied’s EPIC Center, a planned roughly $5 billion semiconductor equipment R&D facility designed to bring customers and technology partners into the development process earlier as AI drives increasingly demanding memory and packaging requirements.
Applied Materials and KIOXIA have formed a new R&D partnership at Applied’s EPIC Center in Silicon Valley to develop next-generation memory technologies for AI infrastructure.
The collaboration will focus on advanced memory-cell structures, multi-chip stacking, advanced packaging and new materials engineering approaches designed to improve memory density, bandwidth and energy efficiency.
KIOXIA will join Applied Materials’ expanding EPIC Center ecosystem, which includes chipmakers, designers, equipment partners and universities. The companies plan to work side by side on technologies that can move more quickly from early-stage development into high-volume manufacturing.
A key focus will be stacked memory architectures, where higher levels of integration are needed to improve performance while managing space, cost and manufacturing complexity. The companies will also work on materials and process innovations intended to support commercial-scale production.
Applied Materials said the partnership should give KIOXIA earlier access to its R&D portfolio while allowing both companies to shorten learning cycles and accelerate commercialization of new memory technologies.
The collaboration also strengthens the strategic role of Applied’s EPIC Center, a planned roughly $5 billion semiconductor equipment R&D facility designed to bring customers and technology partners into the development process earlier as AI drives increasingly demanding memory and packaging requirements.
