Rumor
CXMT reportedly acquires reserved ASML DUV equipment slots amid surging demand
Thursday, April 2, 2026 at 03:58 PM
High demand for ASML deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography systems is reportedly being driven by CXMT, which is acquiring equipment delivery slots originally reserved by other firms to accelerate its capacity expansion.
Context
China’s leading DRAM manufacturer, ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT), is reportedly aggressively acquiring reserved delivery slots for ASML's Deep Ultraviolet (DUV) lithography equipment. This move comes as the company faces a critical window to scale production before potential further tightening of U.S. and Dutch export controls. By purchasing slots originally allocated to other firms, CXMT aims to bypass long lead times for essential immersion lithography tools, which are currently the only viable path for Chinese firms to produce advanced memory without access to restricted Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) machines.
This strategic expansion is vital for CXMT's roadmap to mass-produce HBM3 and LPDDR5X by 2026 and 2027, respectively. The company is currently building a major new facility in Shanghai expected to be 2-3 times larger than its current headquarters to meet surging demand for AI-related memory. As ASML previously reported that China accounted for nearly 46% of its revenue due to rush orders, these latest acquisitions signal a continued push by Chinese state-backed entities to secure mature-yet-capable hardware amid a global memory shortage.
Sources (8)
Strengthening Export Controls on Semiconductor ...News Archive | November 2025 | Tom's HardwareUnderstanding the Biden Administration’s Updated Export ControlsWafer Wars: Deciphering Latest Restrictions On AI And Semiconductor ManufacturingHigh-Bandwidth Memory: The Critical Gaps in US Export Controls | AI FrontiersInnovation under Pressure: China's Semiconductor Industry at a Crossroads - American Affairs JournalThe Rise of CXMT Inside the Hydra-like Chinese Memory ...selling-the-forges-of-the-future.pdf
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