Jukan: YMTC's Wuhan Fab 3 Enters Final Sprint for Production, Flash Memory Competition Pressure May Further Intensify

BlockBeats News, September 15 — Citrini analyst Jukan posted on the X platform that Yangtze Memory Technologies Co. (YMTC) has begun fully integrating production equipment into its third wafer fab, Fab 3, in Wuhan, signaling that the facility is entering the final stage before production launch. Initial operations are expected to commence by the end of this year. Jukan believes the accelerated progress of Fab 3 is noteworthy, as YMTC continues to expand its production capacity while rapidly increasing its market share. Once Fab 3 reaches full production, it is expected to produce approximately 100,000 12-inch wafers per month, with phased capacity expansions to follow as more equipment is installed and yield rates improve. Jukan pointed out that data from Counterpoint Research shows YMTC accounted for 14% of global NAND bit shipments in the second quarter of this year, surpassing Kioxia to become the third-largest globally, trailing only Samsung Electronics at 25% and SK Hynix at 22%. If the additional capacity from Fab 3 is successfully released, competition in the flash memory market is expected to further intensify. Jukan is particularly focused on YMTC's ability to increase the proportion of domestically produced equipment and continue expanding capacity amid U.S. export controls. He believes this could enable YMTC to narrow the gap with traditional flash memory giants like Samsung and SK Hynix at a faster pace. Citing industry insiders, Jukan noted that YMTC's capacity expansion is unlikely to immediately lead to an oversupply of flash memory in the short term. However, given its reliance on the Chinese domestic market to continuously increase production and market share, it may pose a long-term competitive challenge for existing flash memory manufacturers. [Original Link]