"5G·AI·Metaverse Optimization"... Samsung Electronics Develops Next-Generation Mobile DRAM

EUV Process Applied 14nm-Based... Industry First
1.3x Faster Operation Speed Compared to Previous Generation
20% Improvement in Power Efficiency

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] Samsung Electronics has developed the industry's first 14-nanometer mobile DRAM using extreme ultraviolet (EUV) process technology. With the emergence of advanced industries such as 5G, artificial intelligence (AI), and the metaverse (extended virtual world), this next-generation memory is designed with the market demand for ultra-high-speed data processing in mind, aiming to secure a technological 'super-gap' in this field.

On the 9th, Samsung Electronics announced that it has developed the industry's first 14-nanometer-based next-generation mobile DRAM 'LPDDR5X,' which will lead the growth of the ultra-high-speed data service market. DDR is the standard name for DRAM defined by the JEDEC (Joint Electron Device Engineering Council) and has evolved up to the 5th generation. The prefix 'LP' indicates low-power memory developed for mobile devices such as smartphones.

The newly developed LPDDR5X by Samsung Electronics operates at a maximum speed of 8.5Gbps, the fastest among existing mobile DRAMs. The company explained that this is 1.3 times faster than the operating speed (6.4Gbps) of the 16Gb LPDDR5, which Samsung first mass-produced in the second half of last year. Additionally, the product applies the industry's leading 14-nanometer process, improving power efficiency by about 20% compared to the existing LPDDR5.

Samsung Electronics plans to actively respond to the high-capacity DRAM demand in the 5G era by developing LPDDR5X with a single-chip capacity of 16Gb and expanding the single package capacity of mobile DRAM up to 64GB. Accordingly, from the end of this year, the company intends to expand the market for the new solution through technical cooperation with global IT customers.

Leading the global memory semiconductor market, Samsung Electronics has maintained technological leadership in the mobile DRAM sector for several years. In the 5th generation mobile DRAM field, the company achieved the industry's first mass production of 8GB LPDDR5 DRAM in 2018, followed by 12GB LPDDR5 mobile DRAM in 2019, and 16GB LPDDR5 mobile DRAM in 2020. According to market research firm Omdia, Samsung Electronics held a 55% share of the global mobile DRAM market in the second quarter of this year, ranking first overall. It maintains a market share gap of about twice that of the second-ranked company.

Hwang Sang-jun, Executive Vice President of the DRAM Design Team at Samsung Electronics' Memory Business Division, said, "Advanced industries such as augmented reality, the metaverse, and AI, which require high-speed and large-capacity data processing, are expanding." He added, "Through this LPDDR5X, we will create demand for high-performance, low-power memory not only in the mobile market but also in the server and automotive markets." He further stated, "We plan to continuously improve performance and power efficiency to expand our advanced mobile DRAM lineup. We will establish a stable mass production system to reliably meet premium DRAM demand and further strengthen our market leadership."