Overview
- CXMT, which Reuters and other outlets reported on Wednesday, plans a controlled, limited run of HBM3E memory for AI processors and has already shipped samples to domestic designers for evaluation.
- Industry sources say only about 20% to 30% of CXMT’s HBM3E chips meet specifications, far below the roughly 70% yields reported for market leader SK Hynix, making most wafers unusable and raising unit costs.
- In lab tests the CXMT parts tracked closer to the prior-generation HBM3 in performance rather than to competitors’ HBM3E products, signaling a technical gap with established suppliers.
- The push to produce domestically follows U.S. export curbs on advanced HBM in December 2024 and reflects acute local shortages that have forced Chinese AI chipmakers to accept higher-cost, lower-yield options.
- Because global HBM supply is concentrated with SK Hynix, Samsung and Micron, CXMT’s limited, costly ramp is likely to give Chinese customers short-term relief and engineering feedback but will not immediately change global supply or prices.