SK hynix, the world’s second-largest memory chip provider, announced Monday it has completed development of the third generation of DDR4 DRAM with the industry’s highest density and power efficiency, along with a plan to start mass production next year.

The Korean chipmaker has developed a 16-gigabit DDR4 on 10-nanometer technology process, known as 1Z-nm, with productivity improved from the previous 1Y-nm generation by 27 percent.

Considering that 16-gigabit DRAM is the industry’s highest density for a single chip, the total memory capacity per wafer marks the largest among existing DRAM products, according to the company. 

SK hynix completed the development without expensive extreme ultraviolet lithography equipment, which raised the competitiveness of the most sophisticated memory product cost-wise, it underlined.

The new 1Z-nm DRAM supports a data transfer rate of up to 3,200 megabits per second, featuring the highest speed for data processing in a DDR4 interface, while reducing power consumption by 40 percent compared to modules of the same density made with 1Y-nm 8-gigabit DRAM.

For the third-generation DDR4, SK hynix applied a new substance to maximize the capacitance of the product. Capacitance refers to the amount of electrical charge a capacitor can store, which is a key element of DRAM operation.

The chipmaker is preparing for mass production of 1Z-nm DDR4 by the end of the year and to start full-scale delivery next year, it said.

“The 1Z-nm DDR4 DRAM boasts the industry’s highest density, speed and power efficiency, making it the best product to meet the changing demands of customers seeking high-performance, high-density DRAM,” said Lee Jung-hoon, head of 1Z TF of DRAM development at SK hynix.

The company plans to expand the 1Z-nm technology process to a variety of next-generation applications, such as Low-Power DDR5 and High-Bandwidth Memory 3.

By Song Su-hyun (song@hearldcorp.com)