Nanya Technology has licensed 1x and 1y DRAM technologies from Micron Technology, and is mulling developing a 10nm process in-house, according to the Taiwan-based DRAM manufacturer.

Nanya previously reached a deal with Micron to obtain option rights to use the US vendor's 1x and 1y DRAM technologies, while announcing its participation in Micron's private placement.

Nanya is considering developing a 10nm process in-house, while development partners are also welcome, said Nanya, adding that China-based partners are unlikely under the current circumstances.

In China, there are three memory-chip companies engaged in the development of their own technologies. Yangtze River Storage Technology (YMTC) under the Tsinghua Unigroup expects to be capable of mass producing 64-layer NAND chips in 2019, while Fujian Jin Hua Integrated Circuit and Hefei Rui-Li (transliterated from Chinese) Integrated Circuit are both looking to develop their own process technologies for DRAM manufacturing.

Fujian Jin Hua has Taiwan-based United Microelectronics (UMC) help develop 3Xnm and 2Xnm DRAM technologies with the first-generation 3Xnm to be ready for volume production when Jin Hua starts operating its new 12-inch fab by the end of 2018.

Formerly named Hefei Chang Xin, Rui-Li will reportedly start installing equipment at its new 12-inch fab at the end of 2017, which is ahead of schedule. The fab will directly enter the manufacture of 19nm DRAM chips, and Rui-Li is expected to start making its first batch of DRAM products built using the node technology at the end of February 2018, previous reports quoted industry sources as saying.

Nanya is another player expressing intentions to develop DRAM production technology in-house. The global DRAM and NAND flash markets are currently led by vendors including Samsung, SK Hynix, Toshiba, Micron and Intel which hold key patent technologies for the manufacture of the memory chips.

In other news, contract chipmaker Powerchip Technology's agreement with Kingston Technology under which Kingston acquired 12-inch fab equipment and facilities from Powerchip to reserve production capacity estimated at 20,000 wafers per month will expire in September 2017. Powerchip reportedly plans to buy back equipment and facilities from Kingston and re-negotiate its contract quotes amid the tight memory supply.

By: DocMemory
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