Demand for embedded MultiMedia Card (eMMC) flash memory devices coming from China's smartphone and tablet industry supply chains has ramped up rapidly causing the supply from major producers including Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix to fall short, according to industry sources.

　　Key components used to make eMMC devices, including high-end NAND flash chips, mobile DRAM and controllers, are already in tight supply, the sources indicated. Such supply-side factors have kept available stockpiles of embedded memory devices limited, the sources said.

　　With the limited availability of eMMC devices coupled with an increase in demand, China's smartphone and tablet industries are facing a severe shortage. Consequently shipments of related system-on-chip (SoC) solutions provided by companies such as MediaTek are being negatively affected, the sources pointed out.

　　Samsung's supply of eMMC devices to the China market reportedly is very tight, while SK Hynix has also seen its supply fall short of demand, the sources observed. Their customers have now approached second-source suppliers of eMMC devices developed by the major producers.

　　The speculation comes on the heels of reports that Kingston Technology's shipments of embedded memory devices to the smartphone sector in China have gone up significantly.