Changxin Storage plans to mass-produce 12-layer HBM3E in 2027. The technology gap with global storage giants may be shortened to 2 to 3 years

[ Gearbest Technology News]On May 28, according to information related to the semiconductor industry, China is currently accelerating the commercialization process of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) with the largest DRAM manufacturer Changxin Memory as the core, and related industry capacity improvement actions continue to advance.

SK hynix Wuxi factory

In terms of the progress of Changxin Storage's HBM research and development, the company has launched HBM3 samples and supplied them to domestic AI chip manufacturers such as Huawei. It is currently in the verification process before mass production and plans to achieve mass production of 12-layer HBM3E next year. If the plan is implemented, the technology gap between Changxin Storage and the three leading storage manufacturers, Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix and Micron, will be shortened to 2 to 3 years. In addition, domestic NAND manufacturer Yangtze Memory may also join the development of the next generation HBM. The country plans to integrate Changxin Memory’s DRAM manufacturing capabilities and Yangtze Memory’s 3D packaging technology to promote the research and development of higher-layer HBM. The two parties are currently cooperating on the hybrid bonding technology required for 20-level HBM.

Samsung HBM4

GearbestTechnology noted that market research agency Counterpoint data shows that in the global DRAM market in the first quarter of 2026, Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and Micron occupied the top three with 38%, 22%, and 22% shares respectively. Changxin Memory’s DRAM revenue increased by more than 700% year-on-year, ranking fourth with an 8% share, more than doubling its 3% share in the same period last year.

Industry insiders analyzed that although domestic HBM research and development is progressing rapidly, HBM's core competitiveness involves multiple dimensions such as through-silicon via technology, stacked packaging, heat control, stable mass production yield, and customer certification experience. At present, the actual gap between domestic manufacturers and the three major head memory manufacturers is still large. However, relying on domestic policy support and the domestic demand advantages of the local AI industry, HBM products that meet available standards are expected to quickly become popular in the domestic AI ecosystem. This is an industry trend that Korean storage manufacturers need to pay attention to in the medium and long term.

Currently, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix both have production bases in China. Samsung's Xi'an factory is responsible for about 40% of its global NAND production capacity. SK Hynix also has DRAM and NAND production bases in Wuxi and Dalian. Industry insiders pointed out that the current domestic market is still an important production and demand market for leading storage manufacturers, and relevant manufacturers need to strengthen core process, yield and packaging-related technical management.