[Global Network Reports Intern Reporter Wang Chen] According to the South Korean eNewsletter Etnews on May 1, South Korea’s Samsung Electronics plans to invest nearly 3 trillion won (approximately RMB 18.3 billion) to expand 17-line DRAM capacity at the Huacheng Plant in Gyeonggi Province. If the investment is completed, there will be no additional space in the Hwaseong plant. Samsung plans to increase production of DRAM, 3D NAND flash memory, and system semiconductors on the 17th line. According to industry sources, Samsung Electronics recently announced to the equipment cooperating companies that it intends to invest in the expansion of the 17th line, and placed orders with some companies in March. It has been speculated that the investment scale is about 35,000 300mm silicon wafers per month, and the investment amount is about 2.5-3 trillion won. Samsung will produce 10nm DRAM here, and it is expected that a series of steps such as ordering and equipment production will be completed by the end of 2017 or early 2018, and preliminary production will begin in the second half of 2017. According to the report, since Huacheng Plant 11 will be used exclusively for the production of CMOS and CIS in the future, Samsung decided to expand the 17th line to compensate for the loss of production capacity. Previously, while 11 lines were producing image sensors, some space was used to produce DRAM. The Hwaseong plant is divided into four parts and the internal names are different. 17 lines are used to produce DRAM, 16-2 lines are used to produce 3D NAND flash memory, and S3 lines are used to produce 10nm system large-scale integrated circuits. According to industry sources, investment in the semiconductor industry has changed monthly, and the competition is fierce. This investment is to compensate for the lack of production capacity and process shrinkage caused by the 11-line use change, and has basically no effect on DRAM supply and demand. Reported that Samsung also plans to build a new plant next to the 17th line, used to produce 7-nanometer system semiconductors.