CXMT reaches DDR5 yield milestone

Chinese memory maker CXMT has reportedly pushed DDR5 manufacturing yields comfortably above 90%, putting its production performance closer to established suppliers including Samsung, SK hynix and Micron. Reports say CXMT uses a 17 nm node for DDR5 chip production and has reached a 90% yield, only 2-3% lower than Samsung’s yield on its 10 nm class node.

The milestone strengthens CXMT’s position as it scales output. The company is also noted for fast cleanroom construction, taking only 12 months to build its fab’s cleanroom compared with the two years others require. CXMT plans to end the year with 350,000 DRAM wafers per month, and high yields could reduce waste as production expands.

PC OEM adoption remains uneven. Dell has banned CXMT from its machines, while HP allows CXMT DRAM only in Chinese PCs. ASUS and Acer have increased use in some models because of greater supply-chain flexibility, but the memory is limited to PCs sold in mainland China and some emerging markets. OEMs are also wary of straining relationships with the big three memory makers.