China's CXMT begins G5 DRAM production and targets NAND flash to rival 三星.

China's ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) has commenced commercial production of its fifth-generation DRAM platform, challenging the established positions of Samsung Electronics, SK hynix, and Micron. The company simultaneously is establishing a research facility in Beijing to explore entry into the NAND flash memory market.

CXMT's G5 architecture is now in volume production, with two 24-gigabit LPDDR5X components targeted at portable devices and smartphones. The new platform delivers at least 50 percent more gross dies per wafer compared to its previous process on an 8-gigabit-equivalent standard, a measure of potential chips extracted from a single wafer before defect screening.

Using quadruple patterning techniques, CXMT has narrowed the active-area half-pitch in its memory array to 11.95 nanometers, a metric specific to internal array layout that does not directly correspond to competitors' node designations.

This manufacturing rollout follows CXMT's ascent to fourth place globally in the DRAM sector, capturing 9.5 percent of second-quarter revenue, according to TrendForce data. Market leader Samsung held 39.4 percent, followed by SK hynix at 24.9 percent and Micron at 23.3 percent.

TechInsights Vice President and memory analyst Choi Jung-dong assessed the competitive gap during an industry webinar in August. "CXMT is about two generations behind the industry leaders," Choi noted, adding that the company is "steadily advancing its HBM roadmap toward higher-performance memory solutions." As major manufacturers redirect capacity toward server memory and AI acceleration hardware, standard DRAM remains in tight supply, creating opportunities for smaller producers.

CXMT is now evaluating expansion into NAND flash memory, where data persists without continuous power, powering storage drives and mobile devices. Samsung leads the NAND sector with 29.3 percent of second-quarter revenue, followed by SK hynix Group at 18.2 percent. Domestic rival Yangtze Memory Technologies currently leads China's NAND production. According to Reuters, CXMT's Beijing NAND research facility remains in early phases, with preliminary discussions underway regarding commercial timelines and prospective buyers.

An industry official highlighted the shifting competitive dynamics. "Chinese memory makers still have a clear cost disadvantage to their Korean rivals, but tight supply has given them more room to win orders and expand production," the official said. "If the current upcycle lasts, competition from both Chinese and US suppliers, backed by heavy government support, will become harder for the Korean companies to ignore."