Toshiba adds flash memory line

TSU, Mie Pref. (Kyodo) Toshiba Corp. on Tuesday completed a new flash memory production line at its Yokkaichi plant in Mie Prefecture to help meet fast-growing demand for the component, which is used in mobile phones and portable music players.

The new line is designed for Toshiba's joint operations with U.S. computer chip maker SanDisk Corp. to produce NAND flash memory chips that can quickly write and erase data, company officials said.

"The Yokkaichi plant is the most important flash memory factory on which our company is betting its future," Toshiba President Atsutoshi Nishida said after a ceremony to mark the completion.

The new line has made the plant one of the largest in the world in flash memory production capacity, he said.

Toshiba reportedly plans to build a new flash memory plant in addition to the Yokkaichi facility to cope with the rising demand.