SK hynix announces world's first 1c DRAM chips

SK hynix has successfully developed dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) with the world's smallest nodes, the 1c-nanometer DDR5.

SK hynix's 1c-nanometer DDR5 [SK HYNIX]

SK hynix has successfully developed dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) with the world's smallest nodes, beating out Samsung Electronics in the cutthroat race to achieve a more advanced technology node.

The Nvidia supplier announced Thursday that it developed the 1c Double Data Rate 5 (DDR5), also known as the sixth generation of 10-nanometer, for the first time in the world.

The chip which is in the range of 11 nanometers is slated for mass production next year, according to the company.

Smaller nodes lead to better memory capacity and energy efficiency.

"The degree of difficulty to advance the shrinking process of the 10-nanometer-range DRAM technology has grown over generations, but SK hynix has become the first in the industry to overcome technological limitations by raising the level of completion in design, thanks to its industry-leading technology of the 1b, the fifth generation of the 10-nanometer process," the Korean chipmaker said in a release.

The processing speed of the latest DDR5 has been improved by 11 percent compared to previous version, and energy efficiency by 9 percent.

By applying newly developed material in the manufacturing step that involves EUV machines, SK hynix said productivity of the 1c DRAMs has been enhanced by 30 percent compared to the previous 1b-nanometer version.

The company said the new technology would reduce electricity costs at data centers by 30 percent amid the AI era.

This is a hard-earned win for SK hynix since its crosstown rival Samsung Electronics outpaced it in the development of the previous version, the 1b DRAM, equivalent to nodes in the 12-nanometer range.

Samsung Electronics had announced it succeeded in mass-producing 1b-nanometer DRAM in May 2023, for the first time in the industry. SK hynix quickly followed suit.

Samsung revealed early this year that it would start mass-producing the 1c DRAM by the end of this year, but hasn't provided updates since.

The cutthroat race to achieve smaller processing nodes is not irrelevant to the competitiveness of high bandwidth memory (HBM) chips, which is a stack of DRAMs for faster data process and which has been in the limelight in light of the AI boom.

Smaller DRAM nodes would lead to higher performance for HBMs as well.

The latest 1c DRAM is expected to be deployed in the HBM4E at SK hynix, according to industry officials.

Samsung Electronics had said it would make the HBM4 version, slated for mass production next year, with the 1c DRAMs.

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