SK hynix reportedly plans for a major advancement with 1c DRAM, which will take DDR5 and HBM products to a higher level of performance, and make the firm a leader in this segment.
SK Hynix Plans to Rely on EUV For Next-Gen DRAM Technologies, Allowing Higher Yields & Performance
Well, it seems like SK hynix has taken the recent moves made by Samsung with 1c DRAM a lot more seriously, as the Korean firm is expected to be the first to ramp up the technology to six EUV layers (via ZDNet Korea), setting new market standards. The move is expected to enhance the company's consumer and HBM solutions, and more importantly, allow them to advance towards the next generation of DRAM technology, which could very well employ High-NA EUV techniques.
For those unfamiliar with EUV, employing it is usually a complex process, given that its 13.5-nm wavelength is targeted towards the most complex circuitry, to print finer features with fewer multi-patterning steps. Traditionally, DRAM technology had a blend of EUV and DUV layers, but now, SK hynix plans to switch to six EUV layers with 1c DRAM completely, allowing the firm to spin out products with higher yields, greater performance, and, of course, increased profit margins.
Interestingly, 1c DRAM isn't used in any conventional consumer memory solution yet, but SK hynix is exploring options, and we could very well see DDR5 RAM coming with larger capacities. The commitment towards EUV right now is rather a long-term approach by the manufacturer, since with next-gen products like 1d and 0a DRAM, the firm plans on making EUV an integral part of the technologies, ultimately allowing SK hynix to also integrate High-NA EUV, which the Korean giant is working on right now.
EUV integration allows SK hynix to push out denser, faster, and more power-efficient DDR5 and higher-capacity HBM stacks with improved yield figures. Given that 1c DRAM is expected to make its dominant entry with HBM4, we could expect massive improvements in performance in the future.
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