Semiconductor analysis firm SemiAnalysis posted on social media during the VLSI 2026 conference regarding 3D NAND flash architecture: In the current environment of constrained production capacity, the last thing the industry needs is a reduction in bit output per fab due to declining stacking yields. At the VLSI 2026 conference, both Kioxia and Samsung showcased multi-array hybrid bonding NAND architectures as a development path to achieve the highest densities exceeding 1,000 layers. Kioxia's Multi-Stacked Array (MSA) samples included dual 218-layer (2-layer stack) samples to address mechanical integration challenges such as alignment and warpage, as well as dual 17-layer samples for electrical characterization and QLC reliability verification. Samsung's Cell Multi-Bonding (CMB) samples went a step further, introducing dual 450-layer (3-layer stack) mechanical samples and dual 155-layer (single-layer stack) electrical samples.