China's Yangtze Memory Technology Corp is readying its next-generation 3D NAND memory architecture — Xtacking 4.0 — despite severe sanctions against the company, according to a document seen by Tom's Hardware. The company has no plans to increase the number of layers with the two Xtacking 4.0 devices currently in development, but the family may get broader over time.
YMTC's Xtacking 4.0 lineup that the company has disclosed to some industry peers so far includes 128-layer X4-9060 3D TLC and 232-layer X4-9070 3D TLC NAND devices, which could eventually be used to build some of the best SSDs. The company plans to use string stacking for both. So technically, it will produce 3D NAND arrays with 64 and 116 active layers, which enables wafer fab equipment makers to keep supplying it with necessary tools without directly breaking U.S. export rules (so long as they obtain an export license from the U.S. Department of Commerce).
