According to South Korean media outlet ETNews, CXMT (ChangXin Memory Technologies), China’s major DRAM manufacturer, has onboarded new suppliers to facilitate a smooth and cost-efficient transition from DDR5 to DDR6. The company is mulling a shift away from its current production model used for DDR4 and DDR5 in favor of panel-based processing technology.
Industry forecasts project DDR6 memory will enter commercialization between 2028 and 2029. Nevertheless, sources cited by the Korean media indicate CXMT and its supply chain have kicked off relevant preparations well in advance, aiming to seize market opportunities before Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix further solidify their market dominance.
The report notes that Haesung DS, a leading South Korean supplier of packaging substrates and lead frames, has joined CXMT’s supply chain and passed the client’s latest quality certification for DDR5 packaging substrates in Q1 2026.
Manufacturing of DDR4 and DDR5 has long relied on the cost-effective reel-to-reel process. For DDR6, however, Haesung DS is adopting an all-new panel-based process. This technology accommodates the multi-layer architectures required by next-generation memory, sustaining production throughput and eliminating technical bottlenecks. While the conventional reel-to-reel process can theoretically be adapted for DDR6 fabrication, its profitability and production efficiency degrade as circuit layers multiply, making the panel-based process a more reliable alternative.
Separately, recent industry intelligence reveals major U.S. tech firms including Apple, Dell and HP are evaluating CXMT’s DRAM chips and have initiated internal testing. This momentum will undoubtedly serve as a key driver for CXMT to expedite its DDR6 research and development efforts.
(Reprinted from https://news.eccn.com/）