Pushing the Limits of DRAM Scaling
Samsung Electronics has achieved a new milestone in semiconductor manufacturing by developing a third-generation 10 nanometer-class (1z-nm) 8 Gb Double Data Rate (DDR4) DRAM for the first time in the world.
The company said it has pushed the limits of DRAM scaling by developing the 1z-nm 8 Gb DDR4 without the use of Extreme Ultra-Violet (EUV) processing.
It said the breakthrough came in just 16 months since it began mass production of the second-generation 10 nm-class (1y-nm) 8 Gb DDR4.
The new DRAM is expected to help Samsung strengthen its business competitiveness and solidify its leadership in the premium DRAM market for applications that include servers, graphics and mobile devices.
The company said the new DRAM has more than 20 percent higher manufacturing productivity compared to the previous version of 10-nm DRAM, helping the company respond to increasing market demands.
In particular, the Korean tech giant emphasized that its PC DDR4 module based on the 3rd-generation 10-nm class (1z) DRAM has met the evaluation criteria of all of the global central processing unit (CPU) makers, which allows Samsung to meet an expanded demand of global IT customers.
Samsung plans to mass-produce the product in the second half of this year to accommodate next-generation enterprise servers and high-end PCs expected to be launched in 2020.
“Our commitment to break through the biggest challenges in technology has always driven us toward greater innovation. We are pleased to have laid the groundwork again for stable production of next-generation DRAM that ensures the highest performance and energy efficiency,” said Lee Jung-bae, executive vice president of DRAM product & technology at Samsung Electronics.
Samsung’s development of the 1z-nm DRAM paves the way for an accelerated global IT transition to next-generation DRAM interfaces such as DDR5, LPDDR5 and GDDR6 that will power a wave of future digital innovation.