[Edaily Reporter Choi Oh-hyun ] As Chinese memory semiconductor company Changxin Memory Technology (CXMT) announced plans to adopt “4F²,” a next-generation DRAM technology for servers, SamsungElectronics revealed that it is also developing the same technology.

Song Jae-hyuk, President and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of SamsungElectronics, answered “Yes” when asked, “Is SamsungElectronics also developing 4F² technology?” at the “28th Semiconductor Expo” (SEDEX 2026) held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on the 14th.

When asked if the technology development was well underway, he replied, “We’re working hard on it.” He did not mention specific details regarding the progress of development or mass production plans.

4F² is a unit representing the area occupied by a single DRAM cell; it is a next-generation technology capable of reducing cell area by about one-third compared to the existing 6F² structure. It is expected to enhance productivity and cost competitiveness by allowing more cells to be integrated into the same area.

Previously, according to Chinese state-run media, Qiao Kanwei, CEO of CXMT, announced at the 4th Integrated Circuits and Chiplets Conference held in Shanghai, China, on the 9th and 10th that the company had made key progress in implementing the 4F² architecture and would launch DDR5 server modules (RDIMMs) incorporating this technology within the year.

Concerns have been raised that this development could accelerate the technological catch-up by Chinese memory semiconductor companies, leading to a sharp drop in the stock prices of SamsungElectronics and SK hynix on the 13th—7.39% and 10.09%, respectively.

SamsungElectronics and SK hynix have also been researching 4F² technology for some time. SK hynix had already unveiled its 4F² technology development roadmap last year. Cha Seon-yong, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Head of the Future Technology Research Institute at SK hynix, stated in a keynote speech at the “IEEE VLSI Symposium 2025” last June, “We will break through technical barriers by preparing the 4F² VG platform and 3D DRAM technology based on innovations in structure, materials, and components at the 10-nanometer node and below.”

This represents a breakthrough technology that CXMT has identified, given that it has been unable to secure ASML’s extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment due to U.S. export restrictions on China. In particular, industry observers believe it will be difficult to improve yield—the lifeblood of the semiconductor industry. Some analysts also suggest that concerns regarding CXMT’s pursuit of South Korean semiconductor technology have been exaggerated.