Global DRAM giants such as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are accelerating the commercialization of 3D DRAM, but they are far inferior to Micron (starting 3D DRAM research in 2019, and the number of patents obtained is two 2 to 3 times that of the company).
The South Korean semiconductor industry reported that the main semiconductor leaders of Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix recently stated at a semiconductor conference that they will accelerate the commercialization of 3D DRAM. They believe that 3D DRAM is a way to overcome the physical limitations of DRAM.
At the “IEEE EDTM 2023” held at the Korea Trade Center in Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Lee Jong-myung, vice president of Samsung Electronics Semiconductor Research Institute and head of the process development office, said: “3D DRAM is considered to be the future growth driver of the semiconductor industry.”
In addition, Cha Sun-ryong, deputy general manager of SK Hynix, who is in charge of SK Hynix’s future technology research institute, also said: “The details of the electronic characteristics of 3D DRAM will be disclosed next year to determine the development direction.”
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3D DRAM is a memory chip with a completely new structure. Simply put, the focus of existing DRAM product development is to increase density by reducing circuit line widths, but as line widths enter the 10nm range, the industry begins to face physical limitations such as capacitor leakage and interference. To avoid or mitigate this effect, the industry has introduced new materials and equipment such as high dielectric constant (high-K) deposition materials and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) equipment. But the semiconductor industry believes that making small chips at 10nm or more advanced will pose a huge challenge for manufacturers.
Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix have mass-produced high-end DRAM this year with a line width of 12nm. Considering the current situation of shrinking the line width of DRAM to 1nm, the industry believes that the commercialization of new DRAM in 3 to 4 years will be a necessity, not a direction.
Of course, unlike the existing DRAM market, there is no absolute leader in the 3D DRAM market, so rapid mass production is crucial. With the activity of artificial intelligence application products such as ChatGPT, the industry has also begun to increase the demand for high-performance and large-capacity storage semiconductors.
It is believed that as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix begin to accelerate the commercialization of 3D DRAM technology, more manufacturers and even Chinese manufacturers will launch similar technical solutions and products in the future, so stay tuned.
