4 main makers of chip manufacturing gear have ceased gross sales of latest instruments and supply assist companies of put in instruments to China-based Yangtze Reminiscence Applied sciences Co. (YMTC) attributable to new export guidelines that got here into impact on Wednesday. To promote new gear to YMTC and assist present equipment, the toolmakers should get a expertise export license from the Division of Commerce’s Bureau of Trade and Safety (BIS).
U.S.-based Utilized Supplies, KLA, and Lam Analysis have ceased supplying gear to supply 3D NAND reminiscence with 128-layers or extra to YMTC underneath the newest export guidelines (opens in new tab) that impose new license necessities for semiconductor manufacturing gear destined for China beginning October 12. Nevertheless, they’ll proceed to provide new gear and instruments to multinational firms that produce chips in China — Samsung and SK Hynix — for a 12 months and not using a license. But, all export license functions to provide instruments to Tsinghua Unigroup-controlled YMTC require evaluation with a presumption of denial. Tsinghua Unigroup is a government-controlled group.
For a similar purpose, ASML, which is within the Netherlands, informed its U.S. staff to cease ‘servicing, delivery or offering assist to any clients in China till additional discover,’ in line with a Bloomberg (opens in new tab) report.
Whereas Utilized, KLA, and Lam Analysis ship metrology, etching, deposition, inspection, and die sorting instruments to Yangtze Reminiscence, ASML sells the Chinese language 3D NAND maker crucially vital lithographic scanners. Whereas formally, lithography instruments utilized by YMTC should not as superior as instruments utilized by logic or dynamic random entry reminiscence (DRAM) producers and theoretically shouldn’t fall underneath the brand new licensing necessities, ASML prefers to evaluate the brand new export guidelines and be certain that it complies with the brand new rules.
YMTC tried to acquire all gear and spare components it might from its American companions in China within the current weeks and days to maintain producing 3D NAND with out disruptions to fulfill the calls for of its shoppers, which reportedly embody Apple. Whereas it might in all probability purchase manufacturing gear and spare components (though no one), its most important problem now’s to put in and deploy new instruments and components. The brand new export restrictions imposed by the U.S. authorities additionally embody companies. Because of this, ASML, Utilized Supplies, KLA, and Lam Analysis staff can not help YMTC, in addition to different Chinese language chipmakers, which signifies that they can not set up new instruments or substitute defective parts.
Whether or not YMTC’s engineers at its fab are certified to service gear produced by firms from the U.S. and the Netherlands is unknown. Nevertheless, for now, the 3D NAND bit provide from YMTC is safe, in line with DigiTimes (opens in new tab).
In the meantime, if YMTC’s staff can not deploy new instruments and repair manufacturing instruments, ultimately, YMTC must scale down and even stop manufacturing of 3D NAND reminiscence. The latter is unlikely to occur as the corporate will wrestle to outlive. Nonetheless, with out assist from toolmakers, it would get a lot tougher to keep up YMTC’s manufacturing amenities.
It’s noteworthy that YMTC was on the point of ramp up its next-generation household of six-plane 3D NAND chips that includes the corporate’s Xtacking 3.0 structure with ~200 layers and a 2400 MT/s interface pace. These chips might finally allow a few of the greatest SSDs, however we’re not certain whether or not YMTC will have the ability to get the precise instruments to supply such reminiscence gadgets.
