{
  "id": 14202517,
  "title": "China chip claim rattles Samsung and SK Hynix: What is the 4F² breakthrough?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/13/china-chip-claim-rattles-samsung-and-sk-hynix-what-is-the-4f2",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-13T12:24:48.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Gulf News",
    "slug": "gulf-news",
    "url": "https://gulfnews.com/technology/china-chip-claim-rattles-samsung-and-sk-hynix-what-is-the-4f-breakthrough-1.500708938"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On October 13, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix stocks plummeted after Chinese company CXMT Corp. announced a memory chip breakthrough. SK Hynix's share price dropped by 10% and Samsung fell 7.4%, causing the Kospi index to decline as well. CXMT's President, Cao Kanyu, announced during a Shanghai conference that CXMT would launch a data center server chip utilizing a 4F² design before the end of the year. However, the claim remains unsubstantiated as no further details were provided. A 4F² DDR5 server memory refers to a DRAM designed specifically for servers, as opposed to phones or laptops. The \"4F²\" designation indicates the surface area of a memory cell, measured relative to F, which represents the minimum line-width of the chip. Today's standard is 6F², while the 4F² design reduces the cell footprint from 3F × 2F to 2F × 2F, potentially increasing density by 30% to 50% on the same chip area. This could result in more memory per server at a lower cost per bit, but it is primarily a matter of physics. To achieve such a tight cell arrangement, transistors must be vertical with a channel running vertically and a gate wrapped around it, a challenge that has made it difficult to manufacture. SK Hynix has a patent for a vertical-channel DRAM cell in a 4F² structure, acknowledging the complexity of the manufacturing process. Meanwhile, Samsung established a public 3D DRAM development project in 2021 and formed a team in May 2023 to develop mass production of 4F² cells. In June 2025, reports indicated that both companies aimed to validate working 4F² prototypes by the end of that year. While Samsung is expected to produce 4F² products not until 2028, CXMT seems to have gained a two-year advantage over its Korean rivals, despite US sanctions that prohibit it from using advanced tools like ASML's machines. The claim has rattled investors, especially given CXMT's potential two-year head start.",
  "summary": "Dubai: Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix shares tumbled on October 13 after China’s CXMT Corp claimed a memory chip breakthrough. SK Hynix fell 10% and Samsung lost 7.4%. The selloff dragged down the broader Kospi index. Over the weekend, CXMT President Cao Kanyu speaking at a conference in Shanghai said that CXMT will launch a data center server chip with a 4F² design before the end of the year.…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}