Yangtze Memory Technologies targets global No.1! NAND capacity expands aggressively: to surpass Samsung and SK Hynix next year

According to reports, domestic NAND flash manufacturer YMTC is massively expanding its production capacity, aiming to surpass Samsung and SK Hynix by the end of 2027 to claim the top spot in global NAND market share.

Currently, YMTC holds approximately 14% of the NAND market share, trailing Samsung by about 10 percentage points. Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron each have a batch of plants under construction, but their capacity expansion efforts are focused on DRAM and HBM, with NAND expansion taking a lower priority.

YMTC, in contrast, concentrates nearly all its resources on NAND, and this differentiated strategy has enabled its NAND capacity growth to far outpace competitors.

In terms of capacity data, YMTC's total capacity will reach 300,000 wafers per month by early 2027, with a portion allocated to LPDDR. During the same period, SK Hynix's NAND capacity is expected to be 260,000 wafers per month.

YMTC's two new fabs, Fab 4 and Fab 5, each plan a monthly capacity of 100,000 wafers, with cleanrooms set to be completed next year. As five new fabs come online successively over the coming years, YMTC's capacity will see a significant leap.

However, some analysts point out that YMTC's chances of directly seizing the global top spot by the end of 2027 are limited, as Samsung can quickly convert planned DRAM or HBM fabs into NAND production lines at any time, rapidly releasing substantial NAND capacity.

In the long run, YMTC is indeed eroding Samsung's leading edge, but the exact timing of when it will overtake Samsung still depends on Samsung's capacity allocation decisions.