Applied Materials and KIOXIA Partner at the EPIC Center to Advance Next-Generation Memory Technology

EPIC Center capital spending is expected to scale over time to approximately $5 billion as customer projects commence.

Rhea-AI Summary

Applied Materials (AMAT) announced that KIOXIA will join its EPIC Center in Silicon Valley as an innovation partner for next-generation memory development. The companies plan to collaborate on memory cells and structures, chip stacking, advanced packaging and materials engineering aimed at increasing memory density and performance for AI applications.

The EPIC Center is expected to be operationally ready in 2026. Applied expects capital spending to scale over time to approximately $5 billion as customer projects commence. The center is designed to shorten the path from early-stage research to full-scale manufacturing; its co-innovation programs are intended to help guide Applied’s R&D investments and increase R&D productivity.

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0 major · 1 point

Hollow bars mark forward-looking points. How the balance works

Positive

• Minor point. Forward-looking: it has not happened yet and may not happen.KIOXIA will join Applied’s EPIC Center as an innovation partner for next-generation memory R&D.
• Minor point. Forward-looking: it has not happened yet and may not happen.EPIC Center is expected to be operationally ready in 2026.

Negative

• Moderate point. Forward-looking: it has not happened yet and may not happen.Capital spending is expected to scale over time to approximately $5 billion as customer projects commence.

Key Figures

EPIC Center capital spending: $5 billion

EPIC Center capital spending

$5 billion

Expected to scale over time as customer projects commence

Key Terms

multi-chip stacking, advanced packaging

2 terms

multi-chip stacking technical

"multi-chip stacking architectures"

A semiconductor packaging technique that places two or more separate integrated circuit dies or chiplets close together or on top of each other and electrically connects them so they operate as a single functional unit. Implementations include true 3D stacking with through‑silicon vias (TSVs) that pass signals vertically through dies, and 2.5D approaches that put dies side‑by‑side on an interposer; the goal is higher component density and shorter electrical paths, with tradeoffs including added thermal, testing and manufacturing complexity that can affect cost and yield.

advanced packaging technical

"Advanced packaging for stacked memory"

Advanced packaging describes modern methods for arranging, connecting and enclosing semiconductor chips so they work together more efficiently in a smaller space—think of stacking and wiring tiny electronic building blocks instead of leaving them as separate items on a circuit board. It matters to investors because these techniques can boost product speed, reduce power use, shrink device size and lower manufacturing costs, all of which influence a maker’s competitiveness, profit margins and market share.

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• Companies will collaborate to develop advanced memory structures, chip stacking technologies and materials engineering innovations to increase AI memory performance
• KIOXIA joins Applied Materials’ growing EPIC Center ecosystem, which includes chipmakers, chip designers, equipment partners and universities
  
  

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Sept. 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Applied Materials, Inc., the leader in materials engineering solutions for the semiconductor industry, today announced that KIOXIA Corporation, a leading global supplier of flash memory and solid state drives (SSDs), will join Applied’s EPIC Center in Silicon Valley as an innovation partner to advance next-generation memory technologies. The companies will work together at the EPIC Center on advanced memory-cell and structure creation, multi-chip stacking architectures, and new materials engineering approaches designed to increase memory density and performance for the AI era.

“AI infrastructure requires memory solutions that can deliver dramatically higher density, greater bandwidth and improved energy efficiency,” said Gary Dickerson, President and CEO of Applied Materials. “By bringing KIOXIA’s deep expertise in memory technology together with Applied’s materials engineering innovations at the EPIC Center, we’re creating a powerful partnership to define what’s possible in next-generation memory.”

“At KIOXIA, we have always believed that the possibility of memory is defined by the ability to stretch the boundaries of materials and process innovation,” said Hiroo Ota, President and CEO of KIOXIA Corporation. “Our collaboration with Applied Materials reflects our shared commitment to driving memory innovation, and we are excited to partner at the EPIC Center to achieve advanced breakthroughs.”

Through the EPIC Center partnership, Applied Materials and KIOXIA will collaborate on R&D initiatives focused on the most critical challenges in next-generation memory innovation. Areas of focus include:

• Advanced memory cell and structure creation to develop more capable, higher-density memory architectures for AI applications
• Multi-chip stacking for next-generation memory to enable chip integration that increases memory density and performance within constrained form factors
• Advanced packaging for stacked memory to improve integration and interconnect performance in complex multi-die memory solutions
• Materials engineering innovations that enable next-generation memory structures while supporting manufacturability at scale
  
  

“Memory is at the center of the AI innovation roadmap, and the challenges of increasing memory density while managing cost and complexity require breakthroughs across materials, equipment and process technology,” said Dr. Prabu Raja, President of the Semiconductor Products Group at Applied Materials. “We look forward to partnering with KIOXIA at the EPIC Center, where our teams will drive advances in AI memory through deep co-innovation.”

“Partnering with Applied Materials at the EPIC Center gives us a unique environment to tackle the hardest challenges in next-generation memory,” said Minori Kajimoto, General Manager of Advanced Memory Development at KIOXIA. “By having top innovators from KIOXIA and Applied Materials working side by side, we aim to accelerate the commercialization of breakthroughs in memory and packaging technologies that achieve new levels of integration and performance for AI computing.”

Applied’s new, $5 billion* EPIC (Equipment and Process Innovation and Commercialization) Center in Silicon Valley represents the largest-ever U.S. investment in advanced semiconductor equipment R&D. The center, which will be operationally ready this year, is designed from the ground up to dramatically reduce the time it takes to commercialize breakthrough technologies from early-stage research to full-scale manufacturing. For chipmakers, the EPIC Center will provide earlier access to Applied’s R&D portfolio, faster cycles of learning and accelerated transfer of next-generation technologies into high-volume manufacturing, within a secure collaborative environment. In addition, the co-innovation programs at the EPIC Center will provide Applied with greater multi-node visibility to guide R&D investments while increasing R&D productivity and value sharing.

*Capital spending is expected to scale over time to approximately $5 billion as customer projects commence.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including those regarding Applied’s investment and growth strategies, the development of new materials and technologies, industry outlook and technology requirements, the plans and expectations for the EPIC Center, and other statements that are not historical facts. These statements and their underlying assumptions are subject to risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements include, without limitation: the demand for semiconductors and customers’ technology requirements; the ability to develop new and innovative technologies; the ability to obtain and protect intellectual property rights in key technologies; the ability to achieve the objectives of the EPIC Center; and other risks and uncertainties described in Applied’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Applied’s most recent Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K. All forward-looking statements are based on management’s current estimates, projections and assumptions, and Applied assumes no obligation to update them.

About Applied Materials
Applied Materials, Inc. (Nasdaq: AMAT) is the leader in materials engineering solutions that are at the foundation of virtually every new semiconductor and advanced display in the world. The technology we create is essential to advancing AI and accelerating the commercialization of next-generation chips. At Applied, we push the boundaries of science and engineering to deliver material innovation that changes the world. Learn more at www.appliedmaterials.com.

Contacts:

Applied Materials
Ricky Gradwohl (editorial/media) 408.235.4676
Mike Sullivan (financial community) 408.986.7977

FAQ

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What will Applied Materials and KIOXIA develop at the EPIC Center?

The companies plan to collaborate on next-generation memory technologies, including memory cells and structures, multi-chip stacking, advanced packaging and materials engineering. Their work is aimed at increasing memory density and performance for AI applications.

How much does Applied Materials expect to spend on the EPIC Center?

Applied expects capital spending to scale over time to approximately $5 billion as customer projects commence. This is an expected spending level over time, not a disclosed amount already spent.