Abstract:
Chinese DRAM memory chip manufacturer Changxin Memory (CXMT) announced that its fifth-generation DRAM technology platform has officially entered the mass production stage. This progress is regarded as an important milestone in the development of China's storage industry, and also means that Changxin Storage is further narrowing the technology gap with global leading manufacturers such as Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix and Micron.
DRAM is the core working memory required by electronic devices such as smartphones, personal computers, and servers to run applications. In recent years, as artificial intelligence, high-performance computing and mobile terminal performance continue to improve, the global market demand for advanced DRAM products continues to grow.
According to information released by Changxin Memory, the goal of the fifth-generation technology platform is to create memory products with stronger performance and higher capacity while reducing power consumption and production costs. The company stated that the new platform will provide terminal electronic product manufacturers with more memory chip supply sources and enhance the supply flexibility of the industry chain.
As China's largest DRAM manufacturer, Changxin Memory focuses on increasing the density of memory cells this time. By further shrinking the tiny structures responsible for data storage and increasing the level of integration, the new platform can accommodate more memory cells in the same area and increase the number of chips that can be cut from a single wafer, thus improving overall output efficiency.
Changxin Storage revealed that the new platform has reduced the key structural pitch of the storage array to 11.95 nanometers, which is equivalent to about 12 billionths of a meter. To achieve this goal, the company uses a quadruple patterning process, which breaks through traditional process limitations by repeatedly performing multiple manufacturing steps to form more refined circuit structures.
During the 2026 World Manufacturing Conference held in Hefei, Anhui, Luo Xiaodong, head of Changxin Storage Market Center, said that the company's process capabilities have reached the same level as the world's most advanced mass-produced storage platforms.
With the mass production of the new platform, Changxin Memory also released two 24Gb LPDDR5X mobile memory chips based on the fifth-generation platform. LPDDR5X is a low-power DRAM standard mainly used in mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.
The capacity of the new product is 50% higher than that of the previous generation of similar products, and it has entered the mass production stage. According to different end product needs, the two products provide different packaging forms to be suitable for the design of smartphones and various portable electronic devices.
In addition to increasing the capacity of a single chip, the new platform also significantly improves manufacturing efficiency. Changxin Memory stated that when using 8Gb products as a comparison benchmark, the number of chips that the fifth-generation platform can produce per wafer is at least 50% higher than that of the fourth-generation platform.
This indicator does not represent the final yield, but refers to the total number of chips that can theoretically be cut from a single wafer before defective chips are eliminated. However, for the memory industry, improving wafer utilization is still an important way to reduce costs and enhance competitiveness.
The company also revealed that computer simulation technology was extensively used in the development process of the fifth-generation platform, and joint development was carried out with local Chinese semiconductor equipment manufacturers in key manufacturing links. Relevant cooperation has helped Changxin Storage gradually establish a more complete domestic supply chain system and reduce its reliance on external technology.
This technological development also comes at a time when competition in the global storage industry continues to intensify. With the rapid expansion of the artificial intelligence industry, the demand for high-performance memory has exploded, and major global storage manufacturers have increased investment in advanced DRAM and HBM products.
For China, the entry into mass production of Changxin Storage’s fifth-generation platform not only means a further improvement in technical capabilities, but also represents that the local storage industry is continuing to move towards more advanced process nodes. In the future, as new generation mobile storage products gradually enter the market, competition between Changxin Storage and leading international manufacturers is expected to further intensify.
Against the backdrop of the ever-changing landscape of the global storage industry, the official mass production of the fifth-generation DRAM platform is considered another important node in the development of Changxin Memory. It also adds new leverage for China's semiconductor industry to improve its independent supply capabilities.
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