The company unveiled its fourth-generation 3D NAND chip, the
X3-9070, and its first to feature 232 layers of memory cells, government-backed
media outlet Global Times reported on Wednesday.
That places it close to rival Micron, which last month said
it aimed to start mass production of its 232 layer chip by the end of the year.
South Korea's SK Hynix has also developed its first
238-layer memory chip, boasting a new industry benchmark.
A YMTC spokesperson declined to comment on the Global Times
report.
Industry experts say that while YMTC will unlikely launch
mass production of the chip any time soon, it nevertheless marks a breakthrough
for the company.
The company's market share remains in the single digits, but
it is aggressively expanding production capacity and R&D with the help of
state subsidies.
Toby Zhu, who tracks China's chip sector at research firm
Canalys, says that while the YMTC's revenue has improved over the years, gaps
remain between it and market leaders.
Once a little-known player backed by the ailing Chinese
state-conglomerate Tsinghua Unigroup, YMTC has attracted attention in the chip
industry for its fast advancements in R&D.
Bloomberg reported in March that phone maker Apple was
considering using YMTC as a memory chip supplier, which would mark a major boon
for the upstart company.
Reuters reported earlier this week that Washington, citing a
growing threat from China, is considering placing restrictions on companies
that supply to YMTC, forbidding equipment makers from selling parts to the
company that enable it to manufacture chips at 128 layers and above.
The restrictions, if enacted, could rattle YMTC's ambitions
to grow its business, not unlike how sanctions in 2020 rattled Chinese phone
maker Huawei Technologies Ltd.
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