Two Advanced Memory Developments out of China’s Yangtze Memory Technologies Corporation (YMTC) and ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT).

[Daniel Nenni]

In Summary, the memory innovation was revealed in two separate devices:

• ZhiTai SSD TiPro9000 – first market availability of YMTC’s new and advanced Xtacking4.x 2yyL 1 Tb 3D TLC NAND chip
• Gloway 16GBx2 DDR5-6000 UDIMM. which revealed the CXMT G4 DDR5 DRAM. This represents the first time this advanced node DRAM is produced by CXMT.

TechInsights will be releasing further technical analysis and commentary in the coming days on these findings.


Summary of findings

China Enters 2025 with Big Memory Breakthroughs

TechInsights has discovered not one, but two advanced memory developments out of China’s Yangtze Memory Technologies Corporation (YMTC) and ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT). The memory innovation was revealed in two separate devices the TechInsights team sourced – the ZhiTai SSD TiPro9000 and the Gloway 16GBx2 DDR5-6000 UDIMM.

In the ZhiTai SSD TiPro9000, TechInsights’ technical analysis confirmed the first market availability of YMTC’s new and advanced Xtacking4.x 2yyL 1 Tb 3D TLC NAND chip. This development represents a big step by China’s YMTC in approaching a competitive position against Samsung and Micron and shows aspirations to catch SK hynix’s 321-layer 4D PUC NAND devices (expected in 1H25).

TechInsights also sourced the Gloway 16GB x 2 DDR5-6000 UDIMM which revealed the CXMT G4 DDR5 DRAM. This represents the first time this advanced node DRAM (produced by CXMT) is seen in the market. While this is a significant advancement, CXMT still trails the three largest DRAM players (Samsung, SK hynix, and Micron) by three years. Yet, it shows consistent progress by the Chinese DRAM maker despite limitations on equipment and materials.

Both developments show material innovation in advanced – as seen in both DRAM and NAND – for the Chinese market. Over the coming days, TechInsights will be publishing more technical details on both devices and looking at the implications to the global semiconductor supply chain.

https://www.techinsights.com/blog/china-enters-2025-big-memory-breakthroughs

 

[Daniel Nenni]

"China, more threatening without chicken game… will mass produce 11nm DRAM without EUV"​

Interview with Professor Hwang Cheol-seong of Seoul National University

“It’s too early to be surprised by 16 nanometers (㎚·1㎚=1 billionth of a meter). I believe that China Innovation Memory Technology (CXMT) has the capacity to mass produce up to 11㎚ DRAM in the future.”

Hwang Cheol-seong, a distinguished professor at Seoul National University (pictured), said this in an interview with the Korea Economic Daily on the 26th, saying, “The biggest threat to the Korean memory industry is the fierce pursuit of China’s CXMT.” Professor Hwang, who served as the director of Seoul National University’s Semiconductor Joint Research Institute, is a world-renowned expert in the field of memory semiconductors who has published over 700 SCI (Science Citation Index)-level papers.

The reason Professor Hwang pointed out China as the biggest threat to the Korean memory industry is because it is achieving results in the development of advanced technologies despite US regulations. Market research firm TechInsights recently announced in a report that “CXMT has succeeded in mass producing 16㎚ Double Data Rate 5 (DDR5) DRAM.”

Professor Hwang assessed that “the technology gap between Korea and China has narrowed to 2-3 years.” He continued, “Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix used extreme ultraviolet (EUV) exposure equipment from ASML in the Netherlands when producing 14㎚ DRAM, but Micron mass-produced up to 11㎚ without EUV,” and diagnosed that “CXMT can also manufacture 11㎚ DRAM without EUV.” He also said that the

fact that the ‘chicken game’ does not work for CXMT is a threat factor. Professor Hwang said, “Korean memory companies with advanced technology and production capabilities have been turning around overseas competitors through a game of chicken,” and added, “However, it could be dangerous to play chicken against CXMT, which receives massive government subsidies.” He added, “CXMT’s increase in supply to Chinese smartphone and PC companies, which are major customers of Korean memory, is also a concern.”

Professor Hwang cited the 'steady growth of memory' brought about by the artificial intelligence (AI) era as a hopeful factor for Korean semiconductor companies. Professor Hwang said, "In 5~6 years, the era of 3D DRAM, which stacks storage spaces vertically, will come as the limits of DRAM miniaturization are reached." He emphasized, "China is also focusing on 3D DRAM research, so we need to be alert and respond."

Reporter Hwang Jeong-su hjs@hankyung.com

"中, 치킨게임 안 통해 더 위협적…EUV 없이 11나노 D램 양산할 것"

"中, 치킨게임 안 통해 더 위협적…EUV 없이 11나노 D램 양산할 것", 황철성 서울대 석좌교수 인터뷰

www.hankyung.com

 

[Daniel Nenni]

Top Chinese memory chip maker YMTC makes another design breakthrough, defying US sanctions

Yangtze Memory Technologies Corporation (YMTC), China's leading flash memory chip manufacturer, has achieved a significant technological breakthrough despite US sanctions, amid Beijing's push for technological self-sufficiency, according to a report by TechInsights. YMTC has implemented its new...

www.yahoo.com

 

[Fred Chen]

In Summary, the memory innovation was revealed in two separate devices:

• ZhiTai SSD TiPro9000 – first market availability of YMTC’s new and advanced Xtacking4.x 2yyL 1 Tb 3D TLC NAND chip
• Gloway 16GBx2 DDR5-6000 UDIMM. which revealed the CXMT G4 DDR5 DRAM. This represents the first time this advanced node DRAM is produced by CXMT.

TechInsights will be releasing further technical analysis and commentary in the coming days on these findings.


Summary of findings

China Enters 2025 with Big Memory Breakthroughs

TechInsights has discovered not one, but two advanced memory developments out of China’s Yangtze Memory Technologies Corporation (YMTC) and ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT). The memory innovation was revealed in two separate devices the TechInsights team sourced – the ZhiTai SSD TiPro9000 and the Gloway 16GBx2 DDR5-6000 UDIMM.

In the ZhiTai SSD TiPro9000, TechInsights’ technical analysis confirmed the first market availability of YMTC’s new and advanced Xtacking4.x 2yyL 1 Tb 3D TLC NAND chip. This development represents a big step by China’s YMTC in approaching a competitive position against Samsung and Micron and shows aspirations to catch SK hynix’s 321-layer 4D PUC NAND devices (expected in 1H25).

TechInsights also sourced the Gloway 16GB x 2 DDR5-6000 UDIMM which revealed the CXMT G4 DDR5 DRAM. This represents the first time this advanced node DRAM (produced by CXMT) is seen in the market. While this is a significant advancement, CXMT still trails the three largest DRAM players (Samsung, SK hynix, and Micron) by three years. Yet, it shows consistent progress by the Chinese DRAM maker despite limitations on equipment and materials.

Both developments show material innovation in advanced – as seen in both DRAM and NAND – for the Chinese market. Over the coming days, TechInsights will be publishing more technical details on both devices and looking at the implications to the global semiconductor supply chain.

https://www.techinsights.com/blog/china-enters-2025-big-memory-breakthroughs

CXMT is reported by TechInsights to have officially reached "1z".

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library.techinsights.com

 

[count]

Memory is much more of a commodity. I think this is going to be one of the first semi markets that China ends up catching up with and ultimately taking.

 

[Jert]

Troubles are on its way to CXMT. Just wait....