Chinese chipmaker Yangtze Memory Technologies unveiled its fourth-generation 3D NAND chip, called X3-9070, on Wednesday. The chip technology marks the company’s first tech to feature 232 layers of memory cell.
With this technology, Yangtze is now catching up with rivals Micron and SK Hynix. Last month, Micron announced that it would start mass production of its 232-layer chip by the end of the year, and South Korean manufacturer SK Hynix also developed its first 238-layer memory chip. SK Hynix chip technology is a new benchmark in the semiconductor industry.
Unlike its competitors, YMTC is unlikely to start production of the chip anytime soon, according to industry experts. Although the company’s market share remains in the single digits, its production capacity is growing rapidly thanks to financial support from the Chinese state conglomerate Tsinghua Unigroup.
However, YMTC’s growth could be disrupted by possible rules that could end the supply of chip manufacturing equipment to Chinese chipmakers.
The restriction prohibits device manufacturers from selling parts to the company that enable it to produce chips at 128 layers or more.
The sources for this piece include an article in Reuters.
