China’s CXMT has achieved a significant manufacturing breakthrough in producing HBM3E memory chips, advancing domestic semiconductor self-sufficiency amid ongoing export restrictions.

According to a new report from The Information, China’s leading semiconductor manufacturer CXMT has officially begun risk production for HBM3E memory chips. While this milestone leaves Chinese foundries roughly two generations behind their South Korean competitors—who are already preparing to transition to HBM4E—it represents a significant leap forward for China’s domestic chip supply chain and a critical step toward reducing reliance on Western technology.

Although CXMT has not publicly disclosed the exact silicon specifications for its HBM3E chips, standard JEDEC guidelines outline the expected performance. The architecture features a 1,024-bit interface delivering data rates between 9.2 and 12.4 Gbps per pin, with most standard configurations targeting a 9.6 Gbps operating point. This yields a total bandwidth of 1.2 TB/s, with module capacities reaching either 24 GB using eight-high die stacks or 36 GB via twelve-high stacks. Currently, “risk production” indicates negligible chip yields, but CXMT has a documented history of moving rapidly from initial testing directly into mass production. It would not be surprising to see high-volume manufacturing ramp up within weeks.

This aggressive timeline extends to infrastructure development as well. CXMT has constructed fab cleanrooms in just twelve months—approximately half the industry standard. The company currently operates two major 12-inch fabrication plants in Hefei and Beijing, producing roughly 200,000 wafers per month combined. By the end of the year, output is projected to reach 350,000 wafers monthly, with a long-term roadmap to triple that figure to 600,000 wafers per month once new facilities in Shanghai and Hefei become operational.

Securing a domestic source for high-bandwidth memory strongly supports China’s ambitions to lead in artificial intelligence, but it raises questions regarding consumer DRAM availability. CXMT recently began supplying DDR5 chips for consumer memory modules, sparking expectations of much-needed price declines. However, because HBM requires stacking multiple DRAM dies into a single package, its manufacturing is exceptionally resource-intensive. Should AI-driven demand for HBM continue to surge, CXMT’s expanding wafer capacity may be largely absorbed by the high-bandwidth segment. Consequently, prices for standard consumer DRAM could plateau or even continue rising through the remainder of the year.