SK Hynix, which launched the world's fastest mobile DRAM, LPDDR5T, at 9.6 Gbps earlier this year, has completed LPDDR5T performance verification with MediaTek. It is reported that SK Hynix's LPDDR5T will be featured in MediaTek's next-generation mobile AP, scheduled for release within the year.

SK Hynix announced on the 10th that it has completed performance verification for its mobile DRAM LPDDR5T, which it developed, to be applied to the next-generation mobile AP to be released soon by Taiwanese semiconductor company MediaTek.

Since February, SK Hynix has provided samples to Taiwanese semiconductor design company MediaTek for LPDDR5T performance verification. MediaTek is currently releasing its "Dimensity Platform" series of mobile APs, and this verification was reportedly conducted on a model based on its flagship Dimensity Platform.

According to MediaTek, the next-generation mobile AP to be released in the second half of the year is expected to feature SK Hynix's LPDDR5T product, which has a 9.6 Gbps operating speed and is the fastest among existing mobile DRAMs. This will be the first product to feature LPDDR5T memory.

The semiconductor industry had predicted that 9.6 Gbps operating speeds would be achievable with LPDDR6, which is scheduled for release after 2026. However, SK Hynix has significantly brought forward that date with the start of mass production of LPDDR5T, an extended version of LPDDR5, within the year.
LPDDR5T is currently undergoing standardization registration at the Joint Electron Device Engineering Council (JEDEC), an international semiconductor standards organization, and is in the final stages. SK Hynix anticipates that the generational shift in mobile DRAM will accelerate starting next year, when product standardization is completed and market supply begins in earnest.

SK Hynix participated in the JEDEC forum held in Seoul last May and gave a presentation on the topic of LPDDR5. An SK Hynix representative stated in the presentation that demand for LPDDR5 is increasing. An official said, “LPDDR5 is being adopted not only in mobile but also in consumer products, automotive, and even servers,” and interpreted that the high demand for LPDDR5 is a reflection of the market need for power efficiency and low power consumption.

In the mobile and PC markets where LPDDR5 is primarily adopted, as well as in emerging markets such as server, automotive, and consumer, the three aspects of ‘cost, power efficiency, and operating speed’ are commonly required as key indicators.

In particular, the demand for power efficiency appears to be the greatest, and Moore's Law is in progress in LPDDR, which reduces power consumption while improving performance. For about 10 years, power efficiency has improved by 20-40% with each generation, moving from LPDDR3 to LPDDR5X. Compared to the operating speed of LPDDR3, which was 1.8 Gbps, the current fastest speed, LPDDR5T, has reached 9.6 Gbps, achieving a 400% performance improvement.

This improvement in power efficiency was mainly due to SK Hynix's first introduction of the HKMG (High-K Metal Gate) process to LPDDR5, which simultaneously improved speed and reduced power consumption, resulting in ultra-low power consumption.

The HKMG process is a next-generation process that SK Hynix first applied in the world among mobile DRAMs. It uses a material with a high dielectric constant (K) in the internal insulating film of the DRAM transistor to block leakage current and improve electrostatic capacity.

However, an SK Hynix official said, “At this point, reducing power consumption is not free, and new processes will inevitably increase costs.” In addition, it is reported that customers in each market segment have different needs in areas such as integration, bandwidth, and durability, and that they are considering strategies to respond to these.

SK Hynix Vice President Ryu Seong-su (DRAM Product Planning) said, “Our partnership with MediaTek played a major role in LPDDR5T’s market entry process,” and added, “Starting with this performance verification, we will expand the scope of our product supply and further solidify our leadership in the mobile DRAM market.”