SK Hynix begins mass production of fourth-generation 10nm DRAM using EUV technology

Seoul, South Korea, July 12, 2021 SK hynix Inc. (or the “Company”, www.skhynix.com) announced that it has started mass production of its 8Gigabit (Gb)* LPDDR4 mobile DRAM products based on the fourth-generation 10nm (1a)-class process in early July.

* LPDDR4 (Low Power Double Data Rate 4) – A low-power DRAM specification developed specifically for mobile devices. “DDR” is the name of the DRAM specification standard defined by the Joint Electron Device Engineering Council (JEDEC), and DDR1-2-3-4 is the order of its succession.

Since the launch of 10-nanometer DRAM products, the semiconductor industry has named each generation of process nodes with letters. The 1a-nanometer process that SK Hynix is ​​mass-producing is the fourth-generation process node after 1x (first generation), 1y (second generation), and 1z (third generation). The company plans to supply mobile DRAM using 1a-nanometer technology to smartphone manufacturers starting in the second half of the year.

The mass-produced product is the first DRAM mass-produced by SK Hynix using EUV technology, which is of great significance. SK Hynix has previously partially used EUV technology in the production of 1y nanometer products and completed the verification of its stability in advance.

* EUV (Extreme Ultraviolet): refers to lithography equipment that uses extreme ultraviolet light

The trend of extremely fine process has led semiconductor manufacturers to gradually introduce EUV equipment and put it into the photolithography process of drawing circuits on wafers. The industry believes that the level of EUV technology will become an important factor in determining the future technological leadership. SK Hynix has ensured the stability of EUV process technology through this mass production and stated that all future 1a nanometer DRAMs will be produced using EUV technology.

SK Hynix expects to ensure higher cost competitiveness by improving the production efficiency of new products. Compared with the same specification products of the previous generation 1z nanometer process, the number of products that can be produced on each wafer of 1a nanometer DRAM has increased by about 25%. Against the backdrop of continued growth in global DRAM demand this year, the company expects 1a nanometer DRAM to play an important role in the global supply and demand of memory semiconductors.

The new product stably supports the highest speed (4266Mbps) of the LPDDR4 mobile DRAM specification, and its power consumption is also reduced by about 20% compared to the previous generation of products. SK Hynix believes that the new product further strengthens the advantage of low power consumption, helps reduce carbon emissions, and fully reflects SK Hynix's focus on ESG (environment, society, and corporate governance) management.

After this LPDDR4 product, SK Hynix also plans to introduce the 1a nanometer process into the world's first DDR5 DRAM launched in October last year starting early next year.

“The mass-produced 1a-nanometer DRAM has improved production efficiency and cost competitiveness, and we can expect higher profits,” said Cho Young-wan, vice president of SK Hynix’s 1a-nanometer DRAM Task Force. “SK Hynix is ​​expected to further consolidate its position as a high-tech company leading cutting-edge technology by fully introducing EUV technology into mass production.”