SSDs: YMTC from China apparently wants to double memory production
A new semiconductor plant is apparently nearing completion, and two more are planned. YMTC apparently has big plans.
(Image: Andreas Wodrich / heise medien)
Chinese NAND flash manufacturer Yangtze Memory Technologies (YMTC) could more than double its production capacity in the coming years. The company would thus catch up with global market leaders Samsung and Kioxia and grow to become the third-largest NAND flash manufacturer. NAND flash is used in almost all devices today: from SSDs in PCs and notebooks, to UFS in smartphones, to eMMC in televisions and household appliances.
So far, YMTC operates two semiconductor plants in Wuhan, China, which are said to process a total of 160,000 to 200,000 silicon wafers per month. According to the news agency Reuters and Chosun, YMTC recently completed a third semiconductor plant. However, it will likely take more than six months for all machines to arrive and mass production to start. From 2027, 50,000 wafers per month are expected to roll off the production line there.
In the best-case scenario, YMTC would then achieve an annual capacity of three million wafers. For comparison: Samsung and Kioxia are said to each be at around 4.5 million to five million wafers per year. SK Hynix and Micron process under two million wafers per year.
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Two more plants to follow
According to Reuters, YMTC is also planning the construction of two more semiconductor plants, each capable of processing 100,000 wafers per month. This would increase the annual capacity to up to 5.4 million wafers.
However, the timeframe is still unclear. Even if YMTC initiates construction promptly, significant production capacity in the new semiconductor plants would not be expected until 2029. By then, the competition will also massively expand its capacity. However, a long-term consolidation as the world's third-largest manufacturer is conceivable.
DRAM Expansion
Meanwhile, YMTC is also said to be venturing into working memory. In the long term, the manufacturer apparently intends to produce DRAM, such as LPDDR for smartphones, in all three new semiconductor plants. Both memory types are in short supply due to high demand from cloud hyperscalers. In China, ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) is currently the largest DRAM manufacturer.
PC, notebook, and smartphone manufacturers are already considering using Chinese memory in their systems to circumvent supply bottlenecks caused by the memory crisis. This includes Apple.
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