Chinese memory firms CXMT and YMTC expand market reach amid patent disputes

Major Chinese memory manufacturers are expanding their technological footprints. ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT), a leading DRAM producer, is reportedly preparing to enter the NAND flash memory market. To support this, CXMT is establishing a research and development production line and a dedicated laboratory in Beijing to address the rising demand for NAND-based SSDs driven by AI server workloads.

This move follows a trend of cross-market expansion between China’s two largest memory firms. Yangtze Memory Technologies Corp (YMTC), the leader in the Chinese NAND market, has previously explored entering the DRAM sector by providing low-power DRAM samples to customers. Both companies have benefited from significant support from Chinese state-linked funds and local governments.

In a separate legal development, the Munich I Regional Court issued a preliminary injunction in favor of YMTC against Micron Technology. The ruling involves two 3D NAND flash memory patents held by YMTC. If upheld, the injunction could bar Micron’s NAND flash chips and products incorporating them, such as SSDs, from the German market.