CXMT’s move to start providing samples for Huawei with the aim of mass production certification of HBM3 has an important impact on the progress of China’s AI memory self-sufficiency and the composition of global semiconductor competition.
China to start mass production of domestic HBM3 chips, paving way for Huawei AI integration
🟦 China enters certification phase for mass production of HBM3
CXMT (Changxin Storage) has started providing samples of HBM3 to Huawei, and it is expected that it will soon obtain mass production certification and achieve full-scale mass production in 2026.
- CXMT has provided Huawei with its self-developed 16nm-based HBM3 chip and is in the process of obtaining certification for mass production.
- The technology gap is narrowing more than before, and the industry evaluates it as “3~4 years behind”. Mass production of HBM3 is expected to begin in 2026 and HBM3E in 2027.
- It is expected to be used mainly for AI training, inference accelerators, and high-performance computing, and is expected to be installed in Huawei’s AI chips.
🟦 Background and Significance
Export restrictions on advanced semiconductor technology by the United States have been triggered, and the movement to achieve semiconductor independence in China is accelerating. CXMT’s development and mass production of HBM3 is a significant step towards establishing its own memory as an important source of supply in the field of AI. It has become clear that the Chinese are trying to catch up with international giants such as SK hynix, Samsung, and Micron, which have previously monopolized the HBM market.
🟦Summary
CXMT’s HBM3 chip mass production system will accelerate the autonomy of AI semiconductor supply through cooperation with Huawei, which may bring about a major shift in China’s semiconductor industry structure.
It is noteworthy that even in cutting-edge fields such as HBM, which was once considered “difficult in China”, it is steadily accumulating achievements and showing catch-up. Of course, there are still many challenges, but the accumulation of these advances also gives us a sense of the possibility that the international semiconductor power map will change.
