Yangtze Memory Technologies Co. (YMTC) appears on the US Entities of the US Ministry of Commerce since the end of 2022. However, the manufacturer based in Wuhan continues its expansion and aims at around 150,000 sets of platelets per month (WSPM) this year and 15 % of the Nand global supply by the end of 2026.
YMTC was already on the right track to reach around 130,000 WSPM by the end of 2024, or about 8 % of the world capacity, and began to ship TLC parts to 232 layers (X4-9070) created by sticking two trays for a total of 294 layers. While most competitors further reduce their investment expenses, the Chinese company plans to increase the number of bits faster than the increase of 10 to 15 % provided by the industry in 2025.
The product roadmap includes a TLC device of 1 TB, a 3D QLC X4-6080 planned for the end of the year, and a TLC X5-9080 of 2 TB with a 4.8 GT/s interface provided for 2026. The next generations should exceed 300 layers by sticking three floors, exchanging the flow for a larger number of bits by silicium plate.
To reduce dependence on foreign equipment, YMTC plans to launch a pilot line which will be based exclusively on Chinese tools during the second half of 2025 during the second half of 2025. Analysts believe that a successful rise could possibly double the production of bit and bring the market share to more than 15 %, but they recall that the installation is experimental and that the production in volume would take time.
Techinsights reports that the latest YMTC Xtacking 4.0 “fleas offer performance comparable to that of market leaders. However, the company had to reduce the number of diapers because national processing tools still have performance problems. The persistent gaps, in particular with regard to lithography in the extreme ultraviolet, which remains out of reach of China, mean that durable gains will depend on the filling of the equipment and yield deficit, even if local suppliers such as Amec, Naura and Piotech reduce the gap.
Together, the strengthening of YMTC’s capacities, the NAND-surface Nand roadmap and location efforts illustrate the way in which China goes from production to production to achieve semiconductor self-sufficiency. The fact that these efforts translate into a lasting share of 15 % by 2026 will depend less on the ambition than on the maturation of national manufacturing tools and the regularity of production yields.