Samsung Electronics continues its dive into the 10 nm class process technology. This time, just 16 months after the start of mass production of DDR4 memory using the second generation 10nm class (1y-nm) process technology, the South Korean manufacturer has completed the development of DDR4 memory chips using the third generation 10nm class process (1z-nm). Importantly, the third-generation 10nm-class process technology still uses 193nm lithographic scanners and does not rely on low-end EUV scanners. This means that the transition to mass production of memory using the latest 1z-nm process technology will be relatively fast and without significant financial costs for re-equipment of lines.
The company will begin mass production of 8Gb DDR4 chips using the 1nm class 10z-nm process technology in the second half of this year. As has been the case since the transition to 20nm, Samsung does not disclose the exact specifications of the process. It is assumed that the company's 1x-nm 10-nm process technology corresponds to 18 nm standards, the 1y-nm process technology to 17- or 16-nm standards, and the latest 1z-nm process to 16- or 15-nm standards, and maybe even up to 13 nm. In any case, the reduction in the scale of the technical process again increased the yield of crystals from one plate, as Samsung admits, by 20%. In the long term, this will allow the company to sell new memory cheaper or at a better margin for itself, until competitors achieve a similar result in production. It's a little troubling, though, that Samsung hasn't been able to build a 1z-nm 16Gb DDR4 die. This may hint at the expectation of an increased level of defects in production.
The company will be the first to use the third generation of the 10nm-class process technology to produce server memory and memory for high-performance PCs. Going forward, the 1nm-class 10z-nm process technology will be adapted to produce DDR5, LPDDR5, and GDDR6 memory. Servers, mobile devices and graphics will be able to take full advantage of faster and less power-hungry memory, aided by the move to thinner manufacturing standards.
Source: 3dnews.ru