AI boom reshapes DRAM market as Samsung regains lead and CXMT gains ground

The AI boom is reshaping the DRAM landscape, with technological advancements accelerating demand for upstream materials like silicon wafers and photoresists, while downstream AI servers and chips increasingly rely on high-bandwidth memory (HBM). Samsung regains market leadership through advanced process nodes, while Yangtze Memory Technologies (CXMT) gains ground amid domestic substitution trends. Geopolitical tensions, especially in equipment and technology export controls, are heightening supply chain risks and compliance costs. Competitors may respond with R&D investments, M&A, or partnerships with overseas foundries. Over the next 12–24 months, sustained AI infrastructure development will drive continued memory demand growth, with HBM markets poised for breakthroughs. Chinese firms, supported by policy, are likely to play a more central role in global supply chain restructuring.