When the U.S. banned the sale of advanced chipmaking tools to Chinese entities in October 2022, China's 3D NAND champ YMTC suffered significantly as it could not get tools it had already paid for. But almost two years later, YMTC is making steady progress in replacing foreign chipmaking tools with domestically developed alternatives, according to Bloomberg which cites TechInsights.
YMTC has turned to domestic suppliers like Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment (AMEC), which specializes in etching equipment; Naura Technology, which focuses on deposition and etching tools; and Piotech, another deposition specialist, for chipmaking equipment. While the company continues to rely on foreign suppliers like ASML and Lam Research for key tools, these Chinese companies are increasingly shouldering a larger part of the production flow, according to TechInsights.
