Yangtze Memory Technologies

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Yangtze Memory Technologies Corp
Native name
长江存储科技有限责任公司
TypeSubsidiary
IndustrySemiconductors
FoundedJuly 26, 2016; 5 years ago (2016-07-26)[1]
HeadquartersWuhan, Hubei, China
Area served
Greater China
Key people
Chen Weiguo
(Chairman of the Board)
Dr. Yang Shining
(CEO)[2]
ProductsDRAM
Flash memory
SSDs
BrandsXTacking
Zhitai
Number of employees
~5,000 (2020)
ParentTsinghua Unigroup
Website
Yangtze Memory Technologies Corp
Simplified Chinese长江存储科技有限责任公司
Traditional Chinese長江存儲科技有限責任公司
YMTC
Chinese长江存储

Yangtze Memory Technologies Corp (YMTC) is a Chinese memory semiconductor manufacturer of dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) chips and flash memory chips. Founded in Wuhan, China in 2016, the company received backing from Tsinghua Unigroup. Its consumer products are marketed under the brand Zhitai.

As of 2020, YMTC is using a 20nm process to make 64-layer 3D NAND flash.[3] In April 2020, the company unveiled its first 128 layers vertical NAND chip based on XTacking architecture which will enter mass production by late 2020 to early 2021. [4]

History[]

Tsinghua Unigroup founded YMTC in July 2016, together with Hubei provincial government and the Chinese national "Big Fund" China Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund with a total investment of $24 billion.[5]

In 2018, YMTC released its XTacking architecture designed for Vertical NAND chips at the Flash Memory Summit, receiving the "Best of Show" award.[6] Xtracking enables YMTC to manufacture the memory and the logic circuits on separate wafers and connect them using plasma activation and thermal annealing.[7] According to YMTC, this enables a higher speed for the production process and increases NAND performance.[7] YMTC's 3D NAND flash memory chips were the first to be domestically mass-produced in China.[8] Later in 2018, YMTC announced mass production of its 32-layer 3D NAND flash memory chip, and in September 2019, YMTC reported that it had started mass-producing its 64-layer TLC 3D NAND flash memory chip, with both chips using its Xtacking architecture.[9]

In April 2020, YMTC announced that it had developed a 128-layer 1.33 Tb flash memory chip.[10] In September 2020, YMTC unveiled its first consumer line products under the brand name Zhitai. Products include SATA and M2 SSDs based on its 64 layers Xtracking NAND chips. [11] From 2020 to 2021, YMTC suffered from unsatisfactory yield from its initial risk production of the 128-layer memory chip, averaging around 30 to 40 percent. [12] In September 2021, the company's chief operating officer announced YMTC had shopped over 300 million 64-layer flash chips, and its 128-layer QLC memory chip is ready for volume production.[13]

References[]

  1. ^ "Yangtze Memory Technologies Co Ltd - Company Profile and News". Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg.
  2. ^ "Statement on Dr.Yang Shining's Resigning as the CEO of XMC". YMTC. Archived from the original on 14 August 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  3. ^ "China's YMTC is Poised to Lead in NAND Flash Technology". EE Times Asia. 3 November 2020.
  4. ^ "YMTC makes a memory chip that competes with Samsung. What's next?". TechNode. 23 April 2020.
  5. ^ "How China's chip industry defied the coronavirus lockdown". Nikkei Asia. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
  6. ^ "Yangtze Memory Technologies Awarded "Best of Show" for Most Innovative Flash Memory Startup Company". ymtc.com. YMTC. 2018-08-09. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  7. ^ a b Coughlin, Tom (2018-08-13). "Some Flash Memory Keynotes". Forbes. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  8. ^ Choe, Jeongdong. "YMTC is China's First Mass Producer of 3D NAND Flash Memory Chips". TechInsights. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  9. ^ Clarke, Peter (2020-09-23). "China's YMTC takes 3D-NAND to 64 layers". eenewsanalog.com. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  10. ^ Gkritsi, Eliza. "A Chinese firm made a memory chip that can compete with Samsung. What's next?". Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  11. ^ "Semiconductor Industry: YMTC Starts Selling SSD Products". Businesskorea. 17 September 2020.
  12. ^ Siu, Han; Jessie, Shen. "YMTC sees low yield rates for 128-layer 3D NAND flash". DIGITIMES. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  13. ^ Siu, Han; Jessie, Shen. "YMTC ready to volume produce 128-layer QLC NAND flash". DIGITIMES.
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