SK Hynix Unveils World's First 10nm DDR5 DRAM

On August 29, 2024, SK Hynix announced a significant technological breakthrough with the successful development of the world's first 16Gb DDR5 DRAM using sixth-generation 10nm-class (1c) process technology. This innovation showcases SK Hynix's leadership in advancing ultra-fine memory fabrication techniques.

As DRAM technology advances to smaller nanometer scales, the complexity of microfabrication increases. SK Hynix, leveraging its industry-recognized fifth-generation (1b) technology known for top-tier performance, has enhanced its design precision to overcome these challenges and achieve new technological milestones. The company plans to complete preparations for mass production of the 1c DDR5 DRAM within this year and begin product shipments in early 2025, setting a new standard in the semiconductor memory market.

The 1c process was developed by expanding on the 1b DRAM platform, a strategy that minimizes trial-and-error during process advancement and effectively transitions the high-performance benefits of the 1b technology to the next generation. SK Hynix’s technical team believes this approach ensures a smoother development process and further enhances product reliability and performance.

SK Hynix has also implemented new materials in selected EUV (Extreme Ultraviolet) lithography steps and optimized the process to ensure cost efficiency. These innovations have increased production efficiency by over 30% compared to the previous generation, highlighting the company's commitment to maintaining its competitive edge in manufacturing.

The new 1c DDR5 DRAM is designed for high-performance data centers, featuring a data transfer speed of 8Gbps, which is 11% faster than the previous generation, along with a 9% improvement in energy efficiency. In light of the increasing power demands driven by AI technologies, SK Hynix forecasts that global cloud service providers adopting the 1c DRAM could see up to a 30% reduction in electricity costs, further underlining the product's value in high-efficiency environments.

Kim Jonghwan, Executive Vice President of DRAM Development at SK Hynix, stated, "Our 1c process technology offers a perfect balance of high performance and cost competitiveness. It will be integral to our next-generation DRAM products, including HBM*, LPDDR6*, and GDDR7*. We remain committed to delivering differentiated value to our customers and reinforcing our position as a leading provider of AI-optimized memory solutions."

*HBM(High Bandwidth Memory): a high-value, high-performance memory that vertically interconnects multiple DRAM chips and dramatically increases data processing speed in comparison to conventional DRAM products. Since the introduction of the first HBM, the generation has shifted to HBM2, HBM2E, HBM3, HBM3E, HBM4 and HBM4E.

*LPDDR: low power DRAM for mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets, which aims to minimize power consumption and features low voltage operation. The latest specifications are for the 7th generation, succeeding the series that end with 1, 2, 3, 4, 4X, 5 and 5X.

*GDDR(Graphics DDR): a standard specification of graphics DRAM defined by the Joint Electron Device Engineering Council (JEDEC) and specialized for processing graphics more quickly. Its generation has shifted from GDDR3, GDDR5, GDDR5X, GDDR6 to GDDR7. With the newer generation promising faster speed and higher power efficiency, GDDR has now become one of the most popular memory chips for AI.