As China's largest DRAM maker, CXMT has begun mass production of LPDDR6, the next-generation mobile DRAM, speeding up its chase of Samsung Electronics and SK hynix. After LPDDR5X, it has rapidly expanded its lineup to the latest LPDDR6 standard, standing shoulder to shoulder with Korean companies in the product-generation race.
However, in the semiconductor industry, the view is that even if CXMT mass-produces LPDDR6, the DRAM technology gap with Samsung Electronics and SK hynix has not disappeared. While CXMT uses 15–16-nanometer-class processes, Korean companies apply advanced 10-nanometer-class processes, leaving about a three-year gap in process technology. Even with the same LPDDR6, actual manufacturing competitiveness differs depending on the process level, such as die size, output per wafer, cost, and power efficiency.
According to the industry on the 9th, CXMT officially announced on the 7th that it will mass-produce its self-developed LPDDR6. The first product will be installed in Xiaomi's new foldable smartphone "Xiaomi 18 Fold." CXMT said this is the world's first commercialization of LPDDR6 for flagship smartphones.
LPDDR is low-power DRAM mainly used in smartphones and tablet PCs. As On-device AI, which runs artificial intelligence (AI) on smartphones, spreads, the importance of memory that can process large volumes of data quickly while reducing power consumption is growing.
The LPDDR6 that CXMT is mass-producing is a 16-gigabyte (GB) product based on a 16-gigabit (Gb) die. It follows the LPDDR6 standard of JEDEC and achieves a maximum data transfer rate of 12.8Gbps. When paired with Xiaomi's system-on-chip (SoC), it operates at 10.667Gbps. Based on its own tests, CXMT said it increased bandwidth by 60% and reduced power consumption by 20% compared with LPDDR5X.
The fact that CXMT has reached the stage of supplying the latest LPDDR standard to actual smartphones is seen as evidence of the rapid chase by a Chinese DRAM maker. After unveiling its LPDDR5 lineup in 2023, CXMT announced mass production of LPDDR5X in October last year, and in less than a year added LPDDR6 to its mass-production lineup.
◇ Even the same LPDDR6 can differ in manufacturing competitiveness
But the fact that the name LPDDR6 is attached does not mean the technology to make the product is at the same level.
The key metric that distinguishes the technological prowess of memory semiconductors is the fine process. The narrower the line width, the smaller the area in which the same-capacity DRAM can be implemented. Increasing the number of chips that can be produced from one wafer helps reduce manufacturing costs and improve power efficiency.
The industry believes CXMT currently produces LPDDR6 based on 15–16-nanometer-class processes. In contrast, Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are applying 10-nanometer-class advanced processes to LPDDR6. SK hynix said in March this year that it had completed development of a 16Gb LPDDR6 using a sixth-generation (1c) 10-nanometer-class process.
This difference in fine processes leads to productivity gaps. According to the industry, Samsung Electronics and SK hynix can produce about 2,000 DRAM dies per 12-inch (300 mm) wafer with advanced processes, while CXMT is estimated to be at about 700–800. In simple terms, the number of dies producible on the same-size wafer differs by more than twofold.
Choi Jeong-dong, a TechInsights analyst, said, "If you look only at the product, you might think that because CXMT released LPDDR6 it is at the same level as Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, but when considering the memory technology gap, you need to look at the applied technology node rather than the product name," adding, "Based on process technology, there is still about a three-year gap between CXMT and Korean companies."
There are also differences in product performance. The maximum data transfer rate of CXMT's LPDDR6 is 12.8Gbps. The LPDDR6 product disclosed by Samsung Electronics supports up to 14.4Gbps. SK hynix's 1c LPDDR6 has a base operating speed of at least 10.7Gbps, and the company plans to expand the lineup by increasing speeds in line with future customer needs.
Choi said, "Even among LPDDR6 products, there are speed differences, and a gap of around 1Gbps is not small for memory," explaining, "Depending on which technology node is applied, die size and the number of chips obtainable from a single wafer vary greatly."
◇ Acceleration in the chase, backed by China's domestic smartphone market
Even so, there are voices in the industry saying CXMT's pace needs to be watched closely. While there is still a gap with Korean companies in advanced processes, the speed at which it moves to the latest DRAM standards is getting faster.
In particular, China has major smartphone makers, including Xiaomi, Huawei, Oppo and Vivo. For CXMT, there is a market where, even if initial products fall short of global leaders in productivity or performance, it can build verification and mass-production experience through domestic customers.
In fact, Xiaomi has stepped up as the first commercialization customer for this LPDDR6. CXMT has applied a 1,295-ball FBGA package to LPDDR6 and plans to expand applications beyond mobile to automobiles, the Internet of Things (IoT), and edge devices.
A semiconductor industry official said, "While CXMT still lags Samsung Electronics and SK hynix in advanced processes, the speed at which it is catching up in product generations has become quite fast," adding, "As it builds mass-production experience based on China's domestic market, how quickly it improves fine processes and productivity will determine the future DRAM technology gap."