长鑫存储启动上海新厂设备招标，国产存储设备链迎增量但主体扩产计划大体已被市场知晓

China's CXMT Prepares Equipment Investment for New Shanghai Fab… Closing In Fast on Korea

ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT), China's largest DRAM maker, has begun preparing for aggressive capital investment. The company recently started equipment bidding with suppliers for a new fab, while also firming up plans for additional fab expansions. If the investment proceeds without disruption, CXMT is expected to rapidly narrow the production capacity gap with major Korean players such as Samsung Electronics and SK hynix.

According to industry sources on the 11th, CXMT recently launched the equipment bidding process with suppliers for the construction of its new fab in Shanghai.

CXMT currently mass produces DRAM at two fabs in Hefei and one fab in Beijing. Its production capacity is estimated to be in the mid 200,000 wafers per month range at present, and is projected to exceed 300,000 wafers per month by the end of the year.

Plans for additional fab expansions are also taking shape. According to discussions with suppliers and others, CXMT plans to open a new fab in Shanghai in the fourth quarter of this year.

Equipment bidding for that fab has also recently begun. One semiconductor equipment industry source said, "CXMT plans to expand the new Shanghai fab in two phases. Considering the scale of the recent equipment bidding, this fab alone is expected to secure production capacity well above 100,000 wafers per month."

CXMT will then open a new Hefei fab in the first half of next year, followed by a new Beijing fab as early as the second half of next year. It is also targeting the opening of another fab in the Hefei area in the first half of the year after next.

Another equipment industry source explained, "CXMT has recently set the timelines for building multiple fabs in China and is sharing the details. With massive subsidies from the local government and surging memory demand, its determination to expand is strong."

If all of the investment plans are executed, CXMT could steadily add at least 70,000 to 80,000 wafers per month of new production capacity every year from this year through 2028. Some observers project that its production capacity will expand to more than 600,000 wafers per month over the long term.

This is on par with the current production capacity of the leading DRAM makers. Total DRAM production capacity at Korea's Samsung Electronics and SK hynix is estimated at about 700,000 and 600,000 wafers per month, respectively.

However, Samsung Electronics and SK hynix have also been accelerating the expansion of their memory chip plants recently. Samsung Electronics has been building a DRAM production line within its Pyeongtaek Campus 4 (P4), and began cleanroom construction for its next generation production base, P5, in the second half of this year.

SK hynix began early operation of M15X in the first quarter of this year and continues to invest to expand its production capacity. It also started placing equipment orders in the third quarter of this year for Y1, its large scale semiconductor cluster in Yongin.