CXMT starts mass production of 11.95nm DRAM without EUV

CXMT put its fifth-generation DRAM into mass production without EUV lithography, the company said at the World Manufacturing Conference on September 20, per Seoul Economic Daily. Eastern Herald puts the resulting global DRAM share at 10%, which would be the first time in over a decade that Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron held under 90% of the market between them. That share figure comes from Eastern Herald alone; Seoul Economic Daily's account of the production milestone doesn't include a market-share number.

The new chip reaches an 11.95nm memory-array half-pitch with a 45:1 capacitor aspect ratio. Quadruple patterning got CXMT there, since ASML EUV remains export-denied. Wafer output on the node rose more than 50% over the prior generation.

24GB LPDDR5X modules off the new line are already going into flagship phones.

Quadruple patterning is slower and more expensive per wafer than EUV, run through the lithography step four times instead of once. CXMT closing in on a 45:1 aspect ratio anyway means the process gap between it and the EUV-equipped incumbents is narrower than the export ban was supposed to guarantee.

The open question is whether the 10% figure survives scrutiny from anyone besides Eastern Herald. If a second outlet confirms it, or if Samsung, SK Hynix or Micron respond with their own share numbers, that will settle whether 2026 is the year the DRAM market stopped being a closed club of three.