China's CXMT says new memory-chip platform enters mass production

Chinese DRAM manufacturer CXMT announced on Sunday that its fifth-generation memory chip platform has commenced mass production, a development that could bolster China's capability to compete with industry giants Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and Micron Technology in the global memory chip market. DRAM, or dynamic random-access memory, is a short-term memory component utilized by various devices, including smartphones and computers, to run applications and programs.

The new platform aims to produce more powerful memory chips at a lower cost and with reduced power consumption. CXMT, a leading producer of DRAM in China and a recent STAR Market-listed company, stated that the platform would provide electronics manufacturers with an additional source of supply for chips in smartphones and other devices.

The new platform packs data storage structures closer together, enabling more memory to fit on each chip and increasing the number of individual chips that can be produced from a single silicon wafer. CXMT achieved this by reducing the spacing of critical features in the memory storage section of the chip to 11.95 nanometres, or approximately 12 billionths of a metre, using a process known as quadruple patterning.

This technique involves repeating several manufacturing steps to create finer circuit patterns. Luo Xiaodong, CXMT's vice president and head of its marketing centre, revealed at the 2026 World Manufacturing Convention in Hefei that the company's process capability now matches the most advanced mass-produced nodes in the industry.

In addition to the platform's capabilities, CXMT unveiled two 24-gigabit LPDDR5X products developed on the new platform. LPDDR5X is a power-efficient type of DRAM typically used in smartphones and other portable electronics. Each product holds 50% more data than CXMT's previous generation equivalents and is already in mass production.

The company offered the products in two package formats to cater to various smartphone and portable device designs. According to CXMT, the platform can generate at least 50% more gross chip dies per wafer than its fourth-generation platform, measured by the potential number of chips produced from a wafer before excluding defective units, as opposed to the proportion that pass final testing following assembly.

This advancement was achieved through computer simulations and collaborative efforts with Chinese chip-equipment manufacturers on crucial production steps. The achievement marks a significant step for China as it strives to decrease its dependence on foreign semiconductor technology, with US export controls imposed since 2022 further restricting China's access to certain advanced chipmaking equipment and related software.