China's largest NAND flash manufacturer, Yangtze Memory Technologies Co. (YMTC), has key technology developers and production leaders who previously worked at Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.
According to a securities filing submitted by YMTC for its initial public offering (IPO), among the 11 designated key technical personnel, Chief Scientist and Head of the Innovation Research Institute Huo Zhongliang and Manufacturing Process Center Director Gu Lixun both have experience at the Chinese branches of Samsung and SK Hynix, respectively.
The former Samsung employee is responsible for developing YMTC's 3D NAND technology, while the former SK Hynix employee oversees key process development and mass production.
Born in 1975, Huo Zhongliang holds a Ph.D. in microelectronics and solid-state electronics. He joined YMTC in 2016 after working in Samsung's semiconductor R&D organization, the Institute of Microelectronics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Wuhan Xinxin (XMC).
Huo has served as Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Executive Vice President, and Chief Scientist at YMTC. According to the company, he has led the development of the first nine-layer flash memory prototype in China, as well as the development of 3D NAND technology and products from the first to the fifth generation, successfully transitioning them to mass production. He holds over 600 patents to date.
Currently, the Innovation Research Institute led by Huo is responsible for technology development, integrated circuit (IC) development, product and testing processes, and flash devices. It is YMTC's core R&D organization, focusing on next-generation NAND architecture, processes, devices, circuit design, and product development.
Gu Lixun, who previously worked at SK Hynix's Chinese branch, is in charge of mass production at the Manufacturing Process Center. Born in 1985, he joined YMTC in 2017 after working at Wuxi Sharp Electronic Components and SK Hynix Semiconductor (China) Co., Ltd.
According to YMTC, Gu has been responsible for the core wet etching processes, dedicated equipment, and chemical development for multiple generations of 3D NAND. He holds over 50 related public patents and has participated in the development of customized equipment and components necessary for 3D NAND production, applying relevant technologies to actual production lines.
In addition to personnel from Samsung and SK Hynix, YMTC employs engineers from global semiconductor companies such as Micron and Intel in its technology and manufacturing organizations. Hua Zhiquan, from Micron's Singapore branch, serves as the Manufacturing Process Center Director, while Feng Yaobin, who has worked at UMC and Micron, and Hou Chunyu, from Intel and Micron, are part of the Innovation Research Institute.
YMTC is currently developing sixth-generation 3D NAND and expanding its product lineup based on fifth-generation NAND to include PCIe 5.0 enterprise SSDs, consumer SSDs, and UFS 4.1. The company reported that it ranked third in the global NAND market in terms of revenue and shipments in the first quarter. YMTC plans to use the funds raised from the IPO for the construction and enhancement of production lines and technology development.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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