China's CXMT makes its first HBM3E chips, closing the AI memory gap
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China's leading memory chipmaker, ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT), has begun small-scale production of HBM3E, a type of high-bandwidth memory used in AI processors. This development was reported by The Information, citing two insiders. While a notable step, it places CXMT one generation behind major manufacturers Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron, which are already mass-producing HBM4. Chinese firms Alibaba's T-Head and Cambricon are testing CXMT's new memory and plan to integrate it into products starting in 2027, potentially easing a bottleneck for China's AI chip ambitions amid US export restrictions. However, the company remains three to five years behind technologically and struggles with low yields, estimated at around 25% by SemiAnalysis. CXMT recently raised $8.6 billion in its Shanghai IPO, though its prospectus did not allocate any of those funds specifically for HBM development.
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