Opinionated - China Chipping Away to Semiconductor Dominance

[JSCh]

Chinese firm YMTC unveils 128-layer flash memory chip
By Ma Si | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2020-04-13 10:14

Yangtze Memory Technologies Co Ltd introduces its 128-layer flash memory chip on Monday. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Chinese chip maker Yangtze Memory Technologies Co Ltd officially introduced its 128-layer flash memory chip on Monday, marking a key step in the country's efforts to grow its homegrown semiconductor sector.

YMTC said its 128-layer flash memory 3D NAND chips, a type of high-end non-volatile memory chip, has passed sample verification on the solid-state drives platform through co-working with multiple controller partners.

The chip, named X2-6070, has achieved the highest bit density, and highest capacity so far among all 3D NAND flash memory products on the market currently, YMTC claimed.

Grace Gong, senior vice-president of marketing and sales at YMTC, said in a statement that "We are able to achieve these results today because of the incredible synergy created through seamless collaboration with our global industry partners, as well as remarkable contributions from our employees."

"With the launch of Xtacking 2.0, YMTC is now capable of building a new business ecosystem where our partners can play to their strengths and we can achieve mutually beneficial results," Gong added.

Xtacking is the company's in-house developed chip architecture, and it is the basis for the company's high-end 64-layer flash memory chips, which entered volume production last year.

In its 128-layer line of products, Xtacking has been upgraded to version 2.0, which is bringing more benefits to flash memory, the company said.

"This product will first be applied to consumer-grade solid-state drives and will eventually be extended into enterprise-class servers and data centers in order to meet the diverse data storage needs of the 5G and AI era," Gong added.

YMTC is a unit of Chinese semiconductor giant Tsinghua Unigroup, and it is part of Chinese company's key push to reduce heavy reliance on foreign semiconductor industry.

 

[vi-va]

Chinese firm YMTC unveils 128-layer flash memory chip
By Ma Si | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2020-04-13 10:14

Yangtze Memory Technologies Co Ltd introduces its 128-layer flash memory chip on Monday. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Chinese chip maker Yangtze Memory Technologies Co Ltd officially introduced its 128-layer flash memory chip on Monday, marking a key step in the country's efforts to grow its homegrown semiconductor sector.

YMTC said its 128-layer flash memory 3D NAND chips, a type of high-end non-volatile memory chip, has passed sample verification on the solid-state drives platform through co-working with multiple controller partners.

The chip, named X2-6070, has achieved the highest bit density, and highest capacity so far among all 3D NAND flash memory products on the market currently, YMTC claimed.

Grace Gong, senior vice-president of marketing and sales at YMTC, said in a statement that "We are able to achieve these results today because of the incredible synergy created through seamless collaboration with our global industry partners, as well as remarkable contributions from our employees."

"With the launch of Xtacking 2.0, YMTC is now capable of building a new business ecosystem where our partners can play to their strengths and we can achieve mutually beneficial results," Gong added.

Xtacking is the company's in-house developed chip architecture, and it is the basis for the company's high-end 64-layer flash memory chips, which entered volume production last year.

In its 128-layer line of products, Xtacking has been upgraded to version 2.0, which is bringing more benefits to flash memory, the company said.

"This product will first be applied to consumer-grade solid-state drives and will eventually be extended into enterprise-class servers and data centers in order to meet the diverse data storage needs of the 5G and AI era," Gong added.

YMTC is a unit of Chinese semiconductor giant Tsinghua Unigroup, and it is part of Chinese company's key push to reduce heavy reliance on foreign semiconductor industry.

Awesome progress

 

[Han Patriot]

Chinese firm YMTC unveils 128-layer flash memory chip
By Ma Si | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2020-04-13 10:14

Yangtze Memory Technologies Co Ltd introduces its 128-layer flash memory chip on Monday. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Chinese chip maker Yangtze Memory Technologies Co Ltd officially introduced its 128-layer flash memory chip on Monday, marking a key step in the country's efforts to grow its homegrown semiconductor sector.

YMTC said its 128-layer flash memory 3D NAND chips, a type of high-end non-volatile memory chip, has passed sample verification on the solid-state drives platform through co-working with multiple controller partners.

The chip, named X2-6070, has achieved the highest bit density, and highest capacity so far among all 3D NAND flash memory products on the market currently, YMTC claimed.

Grace Gong, senior vice-president of marketing and sales at YMTC, said in a statement that "We are able to achieve these results today because of the incredible synergy created through seamless collaboration with our global industry partners, as well as remarkable contributions from our employees."

"With the launch of Xtacking 2.0, YMTC is now capable of building a new business ecosystem where our partners can play to their strengths and we can achieve mutually beneficial results," Gong added.

Xtacking is the company's in-house developed chip architecture, and it is the basis for the company's high-end 64-layer flash memory chips, which entered volume production last year.

In its 128-layer line of products, Xtacking has been upgraded to version 2.0, which is bringing more benefits to flash memory, the company said.

"This product will first be applied to consumer-grade solid-state drives and will eventually be extended into enterprise-class servers and data centers in order to meet the diverse data storage needs of the 5G and AI era," Gong added.

YMTC is a unit of Chinese semiconductor giant Tsinghua Unigroup, and it is part of Chinese company's key push to reduce heavy reliance on foreign semiconductor industry.

This is big news.128 layers is the most advanced now.

 

[j20blackdragon]

YMTC just jumped from 64-layer to 128-layer in less than a year, despite COVID-19.

Mainland Chinese semiconductor firm Yangtze Memory Technologies Co (YMTC) formally launched a product that could serve as a technological milestone for the company, a 128-layer 3D QLC NAND flash memory chip. Carrying the product naming series "X2-6070," the chip implements YMTC's XTracking 2.0 memory stacking architecture. This is a particularly big development for the company considering the chip's immediate predecessor is a 64-layer chip based on XTracking 1.0, which entered mass-production as recently as in September 2019, a time when most foreign firms such as Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron, had moved on to 96-layer mass-production, having announced their 128-layer designs around June 2019. YMTC hence appears to have pole-vaulted 96-layer.

https://www.techpowerup.com/265699/ymtc-launches-128-layer-3d-nand-flash-memory-chip

 

[tower9]

YMTC just jumped from 64-layer to 128-layer in less than a year, despite COVID-19.

Mainland Chinese semiconductor firm Yangtze Memory Technologies Co (YMTC) formally launched a product that could serve as a technological milestone for the company, a 128-layer 3D QLC NAND flash memory chip. Carrying the product naming series "X2-6070," the chip implements YMTC's XTracking 2.0 memory stacking architecture. This is a particularly big development for the company considering the chip's immediate predecessor is a 64-layer chip based on XTracking 1.0, which entered mass-production as recently as in September 2019, a time when most foreign firms such as Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron, had moved on to 96-layer mass-production, having announced their 128-layer designs around June 2019. YMTC hence appears to have pole-vaulted 96-layer.

https://www.techpowerup.com/265699/ymtc-launches-128-layer-3d-nand-flash-memory-chip

Pretty amazing progress. But if China really wants to be technologically independent, it will have to match ASML's capabilities.

 

[onebyone]

YMTC just jumped from 64-layer to 128-layer in less than a year, despite COVID-19.

Mainland Chinese semiconductor firm Yangtze Memory Technologies Co (YMTC) formally launched a product that could serve as a technological milestone for the company, a 128-layer 3D QLC NAND flash memory chip. Carrying the product naming series "X2-6070," the chip implements YMTC's XTracking 2.0 memory stacking architecture. This is a particularly big development for the company considering the chip's immediate predecessor is a 64-layer chip based on XTracking 1.0, which entered mass-production as recently as in September 2019, a time when most foreign firms such as Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron, had moved on to 96-layer mass-production, having announced their 128-layer designs around June 2019. YMTC hence appears to have pole-vaulted 96-layer.

https://www.techpowerup.com/265699/ymtc-launches-128-layer-3d-nand-flash-memory-chip

Good New China herry up

 

[Han Patriot]

Pretty amazing progress. But if China really wants to be technologically independent, it will have to match ASML's capabilities.

That's the main problem, semiconductor equipment. We can slowly refine processes but EUV.

 

[atan651]

This is quantum leap! Competitors must really be worried now!

 

[antonius123]

Pretty amazing progress. But if China really wants to be technologically independent, it will have to match ASML's capabilities.

How about this candidate:

China created the first independent new lithography machine, which can make 10nm chips in the future.


Hu Song, deputy director of the Institute of Optoelectronic Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, revealed that the newly accepted lithography machine has a processing capability between the deep ultraviolet and the extreme ultraviolet, and uses a 365 nm ultraviolet mercury lamp. Ten thousand yuan, and the price of the whole lithography machine is in the range of one million yuan to ten million yuan, "let many users overjoyed"...

On November 29th, Beijing time, the Institute of Optoelectronic Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences announced that the National Research and Development Equipment Development Project “Super Resolution Lithography Equipment Development” passed the acceptance test and became the world's first 22nm resolution lithography machine realized by ultraviolet light source.

According to China Science and Technology Daily, Hu Song, deputy director of the Institute of Optoelectronic Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, revealed that the newly accepted lithography machine uses a 365 nm UV mercury lamp, a cost of only tens of thousands of dollars, while lithography The price of the whole machine is in the range of one million yuan to ten million yuan.

Hu Song also said that the processing capability of the lithography machine developed by the Institute of Optoelectronic Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences is between the deep ultraviolet and extreme ultraviolet levels, "to make many users overjoyed."

A new route, perfect to avoid foreign manufacturers' patents

The lithography machine is the core role of the integrated circuit manufacturing industry. The lithography machine is equivalent to a projector, and the fine line pattern is projected on the photosensitive plate, and the light is a carving knife. But the level of fineness of the line has a limit - not less than half the wavelength of light. "The light is too fat, the door is too narrow, and the light can't pass." Yang Yong, a scientist involved in the research, told reporters.

At present, a lithography machine using a deep ultraviolet light source is the mainstream, and the imaging resolution limit is 34 nm, and the resolution is further improved by using multiple exposure techniques and the like, which is expensive.

The lithography giant ASML of the Netherlands monopolized the cutting-edge integrated circuit lithography machine with a processing limit of 7 nm. ASML's EUV lithography machine uses a 13.5 nm EUV source that costs up to $30 million and is also used under vacuum.

In 2003, the Institute of Optoelectronics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences began to study a new method: metal and non-metal film bonding, there will be disordered electrons at the interface; light illuminates the metal film, causing these electrons to vibrate in an orderly manner, producing electromagnetic waves with much shorter wavelengths. For lithography. In this way, the "wide knife" becomes a "narrow knife."

Hu Song said that the lithography machine has a maximum linewidth resolution of 22 nm in a single exposure at a wavelength of 365 nm, which is equivalent to 1/17 wavelength. In principle, the project breaks through the resolution diffraction limit and establishes a new high-resolution, large-area nanolithography equipment research and development route. It has completely independent intellectual property rights and is a revolution in metamaterials/supersurfaces, third-generation optical devices, and generalized chips. The leap-forward development of the sex field provides manufacturing tools. He specializes in processing a range of nano-functional devices, including large-diameter thin film mirrors, superconducting nanowire single photon detectors, Cherenkov radiation devices, biochemical sensor chips and ultra-surface imaging devices.

According to the report, the Institute of Optoelectronic Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has mastered core patents such as super-resolution lithography lens, precision gap detection, nano-level positioning precision workpiece table, high aspect ratio etching and multiple graphic matching lithography processes. , leading the world in the field of super-resolution imaging lithography.

ASML equipment still dominates, and domestic efforts still need to work hard.

Prior to this, Shanghai Microelectronics, which was established in 2002, has taken the lead in developing a 90nm process lithography machine. Now the 22nm lithography machine developed by the Institute of Optoelectronic Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has passed the acceptance test, which can be said to achieve leapfrog progress. It is understood that the related devices for the manufacture of such super-resolution lithography equipment have been studied in many research institutes and universities such as the Eighth Research Institute of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, the University of Electronic Science and Technology, the West China Hospital of Sichuan University, and the Microsystems Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Applied in the task.

Although Chinese research institutes have developed new lithography machines, lithography machines developed by ASML in the Netherlands are still the first choice for Chinese customers. At the end of May this year, according to Dutch media reports, the Chinese chip giant “Yangtze Storage” shipped a $72 million lithography machine ordered from ASML to Wuhan, Hubei.

Another Japanese media reported that China's other chip maker SMIC also ordered a $120 million lithography machine from ASML, which is expected to be delivered in 2019.

Following ZTE and Fujian Jinhua, it is reported that the United States is considering sanctioning China's monitoring equipment giant Hikvision and cutting off chip supply. This will prompt China to accelerate the pace of applying domestic equipment.

http://www.tbcoer.com/en/new/new-43-290.html

 

[Paul2]

between the deep ultraviolet and the extreme ultraviolet, and uses a 365 nm ultraviolet mercury lamp.

DUV is litho is an ArF source at 193nm, not mercury lamp

365nm is shorter than I-line, but not by much. Basically they took I-line lamp and put filters for shorter wavelength than 405nm.

There is a reason why people went with 405nm instead of 365nm back 30 years ago. 405nm resist compositions were way easier to work with than the chemistry that worked with 365nm. So, the guy would've been better just making an I-line scanner because he can reuse all existing process.

I myself think that China now simply needs a lot of cheap ArF devices to make commodity logic. China doesn't have much capacity even in decades old processed like 300nm, as all resources were poured into chasing whimsical latest and greatest niche.

I think 40nm is a practical limit for most IC projects, and it will be here for a very long time. 40nm is where you can do planar devices with single exposure with immersion, or single LELE dry. 65nm is also looks very promising with dry, high volume, single exposure processes.

I will go further, saying that high volume market worth much more than big semi values it at, and it still makes a great lot of sense to do new greenfield RnD for 40-180nm market.

For examples, I've been in touch with one group working on near I-line litho for maskless scanner. It's surprisingly close to a real world implementation they are now. Maybe a year or two of intense work, and they may have a scanner on the market.

Maskless 600nm system will be jawdropper for custom analog ICs, and things like packaging substrates.

China may also have market niche for something like a 450mm system, since our fabs have to pay a "3rd world country export" premium on AMHS, and their service. This price difference should be enough for a domestic AMHS maker to try something new.

 

[Beidou2020]

YMTC Introduces 128-Layer 1.33Tb QLC 3D NAND
Date: 2020-04-12

Wuhan, China, April 13, 2020 - Yangtze Memory Technologies Co., Ltd (YMTC), today announced that its 128-layer 1.33Tb QLC 3D NAND flash memory chip, X2-6070, has passed sample verification on the SSD platform through co-working with multiple controller partners. As the first QLC based 128-layer 3D NAND, X2-6070 has achieved the highest bit density, highest I/O speed and highest capacity so far among all released flash memory parts in the industry①. Accompanying this release, YMTC introduced a 128-layer 512Gb TLC (3 bit/cell) chip, X2-9060, to meet diversified application requirements.

YMTC X2-6070 128L QLC 3D NAND

“As a new entrant in the flash memory industry,YMTC has reached to new heights by launching the 1.33 Tb QLC product,’’ said Grace Gong, YMTC Senior Vice President of Marketing and Sales. “We are able to achieve these results today because of the incredible synergy created through seamless collaboration with our global industry partners, as well as remarkable contributions from our employees. With the launch of XtackingTM 2.0, YMTC is now capable of building a new business ecosystem where our partners can play to their strengths and we can achieve mutually beneficial results.”

XtackingTM 2.0 unleashes the potential of 3D NAND②

Leveraging the innovative XtackingTM architecture, YMTC has optimized the design and manufacturing processes of CMOS circuits and memory arrays. As a result, YMTC’s 64-layer TLC products perform well in terms of storage bit density, I/O speed, and reliability.

In its 128-layer line of products, XtackingTM has been upgraded to version 2.0, which is bringing more benefits to flash memory. In terms of read/write performance, 1.6Gbps can be enabled on both X2-6070 and X2-9060 by using 1.2V Vccq, which is so far the highest I/O speed in the industry. As independent manufacturing processes have been adopted for peripheral circuits and memory cells, it provides the capability to bring better functional scalability in chip design without increasing the chip area. In the future, YMTC will continue to collaborate with more partners to build its ecosystem and benefit the industry through technology innovation.

With 1.6 Gb/s high-speed I/O performance and 1.33Tb high capacity, X2-6070 is demonstrating the outstanding performance and capabilities of Xtacking architecture. “We are confident that this product will be able to meet a broad range of market needs and provide even greater value to our customers. This QLC product will first be applied to consumer-grade solid-state drives and will eventually be extended into enterprise-class servers and data centers in order to meet the diverse data storage needs of the 5G and AI era,” said Ms. Gong.

QLC’s technical characteristics and applications

Compared with TLC, QLC has notable features including large capacity, cost-effectiveness, and efficiency for read-intensive applications. Each X2-6070 QLC chip has 128 layers of array stacks and contains more than 366 billion effective charge-trap memory cells. As a single memory cell contains 4-bit data, each chip provides a total of 1.33 Tb storage capacity.

Gregory Wong, Founder and Principal Analyst of Forward Insights, a well-known market research company in the field of flash memory and solid-state drives (SSD), believes, “Vertical scaling of 3D NAND by increasing the number of layers is becoming progressively more capital intensive with each generation. QLC is a necessary and capital-efficient approach to reduce NAND flash cost. Due to the characteristics of QLC, it is suitable as a high capacity storage media. As client SSDs transition to 512GB and above, the vast majority will be QLC-based. The lower read latency of enterprise and datacenter QLC SSDs compared to hard drives will make it suitable for read-intensive applications in AI, machine learning and real-time analytics, and Big Data. In consumer storage, QLC will become prevalent in USB flash drives, flash memory cards, and external SSDs.”



NOTES:

①Refers to the 3D NAND flash memory products on the market currently.

②长江存储, YMTC, the YM logo, and Xtacking are trademarks of Yangtze Memory Technologies Co., Ltd. and its branch offices and subsidiaries in China and other countries/regions.

 

[Beidou2020]

This right here, makes me smile from ear to ear.

Soon, I can build out a 100% Made-In-Chiggaland computer.

It’s also bad news for anti-China haters like @F-22Raptor that think the US can stop China’s rise. Sanctions on China just motivates China even more.

 

[Pandora]

It’s also bad news for anti-China haters like @F-22Raptor that think the US can stop China’s rise. Sanctions on China just motivates China even more.

Time for stopping chinese prowess in latest tech is long gone and nothing can stop that progress now. China is also way ahead in next gen techs like Quantum computing, Fussion reactor and various space other techs that will decide future of technology and mankind. Chinese semiconductor industry will bring cheaper alternatives to Overpriced american ripp offs. I really want to buy a huawei phone next time with its very own OS.

 

[52051]

What a huge leap ahead

DUV lithography system can produce up to 7nm chipsets, and once it is ready, it will make China the second country to be able to produce such advanced lithography system only BEHIND ASML in Holland, and unlike ASML, which has lots tech input from China Taiwan's TSMC and German Zeiss and others, the DUV lithography system in China will be fully made by China only.

According to the survey, the lens of the system will be made by Changchun State Science group, the light source is made by Beijing based RSLaser Co., the Dual-purpose work-bed is from Beijing-based Huazhuo Precision Machinery, the smoothing/bearing system is from Zhejiang-based Qier Electronics and Machinery.

https://lt.cjdby.net/thread-2620087-1-1.html

Made-In-China 2025 is surely one hell of a project, probably the most ambitious and the largest scale human project ever, no wonder Dotard want to start a trade-war to try and failed to stop China's 2025 project, because once the project is done, China will leave them in the dust

 

[52051]

It sure look like China will lead the mankind for the next Millennium, its a shame I was born too early, sometimes I just being envious to these Generation-10 or Generation-20 and future babes, they are just so lucky