Korean media: Yangtze Memory Technologies may surpass Samsung this time!
On October 15, South Korea’s *Today’s Finance* published an article stating that China’s memory semiconductor company Yangtze Memory Technologies (YMTC) has announced plans to launch server memory based on next-generation DRAM technology within the year. Analysts suggest that China is no longer content with expanding production capacity alone, but is demonstrating a firm determination to outpace South Korea in the competition for next-generation technology.
At the recently held Fourth Integrated Circuit and Chip Technology Conference in Shanghai, Yangtze Memory Technologies’ President Cao Kanyu revealed plans to introduce DDR5 server memory products utilizing the “4F2” technology before the end of 2024.
The 4F2 technology enables a reduction in the area of the smallest data storage unit in DRAM. Theoretically, compared to the current 6F2 architecture, it can shrink the storage cell area by approximately 33%, allowing more data to be stored within the same semiconductor footprint. This advancement has drawn significant attention due to its potential to enhance manufacturing efficiency and reduce costs.
The semiconductor industry is closely monitoring this development because existing methods face inherent limitations in shrinking DRAM dimensions. While memory manufacturers have traditionally increased storage capacity by refining semiconductor circuitry, increasing process complexity has led to rising technical challenges and higher production costs.
Samsung Electronics is also developing plans to implement 4F2 technology in next-generation DRAM. Foreign media predict that Samsung will incorporate the technology into its new processes below 10 nanometers and begin mass production around 2028. Based solely on the timeline, this would place Yangtze Memory Technologies ahead of Samsung by approximately two years.
However, it remains difficult to conclude definitively that Yangtze Memory Technologies holds a technological lead over Samsung. The product planned for release this year may only partially adopt the 4F2 technology. Bringing a product to market is one matter; achieving stable, large-scale mass production is another. True competitiveness hinges on yield rates, cost efficiency, and customer acceptance.
Yangtze Memory Technologies is actively expanding its production capacity while advancing research and development of next-generation technologies. According to reports, the company aims to achieve a monthly DRAM wafer production capacity of 300,000 pieces by the end of 2024, with long-term goals to double that capacity to 600,000 pieces per month through newly constructed facilities in Shanghai and Hefei.
Notably, the product being unveiled is targeted at servers. Server-grade DDR5 memory is typically used in conjunction with server CPUs such as AMD EPYC and Intel Xeon in data centers and cloud computing environments. Given the heightened requirements for stability and reliability in server memory—compared to standard PC memory—the entry barrier is significantly higher.
While South Korean industry observers previously expressed concern that Chinese memory manufacturers’ capacity expansion would intensify price competition in the mainstream DRAM market, it now appears that such competition may extend into the server segment and next-generation process technologies. If Yangtze Memory Technologies succeeds in achieving stable mass production and securing customer certifications, the server memory market currently dominated by Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix could face growing influence from Chinese suppliers.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1879077672208395/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of any organization.