SK hynix 1c DRAM Yield Hits 80%, Nears Production

According to a recent report by Korean media outlet Hankooki, SK hynix has significantly improved the production yield of its sixth-generation 10nm-class (1c) DRAM from 60% in early H2 2024 to an impressive 80%, paving the way for full-scale mass production.

In August 2024, SK hynix officially announced the successful development of the world's first DDR5 DRAM based on 6th-gen 10nm-class (1c) process technology. This 1c node is an evolution of the previous 1b platform, offering higher manufacturing efficiency and notable improvements in speed and overall performance. The advanced 1c process will also be applied to other memory products such as LPDDR6 and GDDR7, expanding its reach across multiple next-gen memory solutions.

Industry experts note that DRAM yield rates reaching 80% to 90% typically meet the threshold for mass production, indicating that SK hynix's 1c process technology is now production-ready. However, integration of the 1c node into High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) applications will require additional time due to the technology's stringent performance and reliability demands.

Market sources suggest that SK hynix is preparing to begin mass production of HBM4 later this year. For now, the company will continue to rely on the more mature fifth-generation 10nm-class (1b) process for HBM manufacturing, ensuring stability and consistency as it ramps up next-gen development.