Samsung aims to develop denser chips, breakthrough materials

Samsung Electronics disclosed its ambition to push the limit of its memory chip density and develop breakthrough materials to enhance chip performance.

Lee Jung-bae, president of Samsung Electronics' memory business [SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS]

Samsung Electronics disclosed its ambition to push the limit of its memory chip density and develop breakthrough materials to enhance chip performance.

“We will increase the density of our DRAM and NAND flash memory chips to the limit,” said Lee Jung-bae, president of the memory chip business of Samsung Electronics, in a letter posted on its website Tuesday.

“The density of our 11-nanometer-level DRAM chip currently being developed will be the highest in the industry.”

Lee highlighted the importance of new material in realizing advanced memory chips.

“In the upcoming era of DRAM chips with less than 10-nanometer technology and vertical NAND (V-NAND) chips with more than 1,000 layers, new structure and material is extremely important,” he said.

"[At Samsung], we are developing a 3-D structure for DRAM and new materials. For V-NAND chips, we will also fortify our strength in realizing the smallest cell size by increasing the number of layers while decreasing the height and minimizing the space between cells.”

Responding to booming demand for AI chips is also crucial for Samsung Electronics.

The company currently produces HBM3, a type of high-performing DRAM chips considered essential to process AI chips. It is also developing next-generation HBM3E.

Lee said Samsung looks to produce “customized” HBM chips for its clients.

“We are focusing on responding aptly to demands related to new applications such as the super-scale AI,” Lee said.

“We will keep advancing memory chip lines to overcome versatile demands and long lead times for memory chips.”

Samsung Electronics is holding Samsung Memory Tech Day 2023 in Silicon Valley on Oct. 20, where the Korean chipmaker is set to unveil some of its latest memory chip technology and products.

BY JIN EUN-SOO [jin.eunsoo@joongang.co.kr]