Overcoming miniaturization limits with ultra-gap DRAM technology, improving productivity by 30%

Samsung Electronics has overcome the greatest process development challenges in history and is mass-producing '10-nanometer class 2nd generation (1y nanometer) DRAM'.

Samsung Electronics has been mass-producing the world's smallest chip size 10-nanometer class 8Gb DDR4 (Double Data Rate 4) DRAM since last month.

Samsung Electronics, which ushered in the era of 10-nanometer class DRAM by mass-producing '1x-nanometer (1st generation 10-nanometer class) 8Gb DRAM' in February 2016, has overcome the limitations of semiconductor microfabrication in 21 months.

Samsung Electronics has built a competitive edge that enables it to respond in a timely manner to the increasing demand for premium DRAM from global customers by increasing productivity by approximately 30% compared to first-generation 10-nanometer class DRAM without using next-generation extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment.

Samsung Electronics plans to enter a full-scale 10-nanometer DRAM mass production system, excluding some application products, through the mass production of this second-generation 10-nanometer DRAM, which doubles the capacity, speed, and power consumption efficiency of the 2y-nanometer (20-nanometer class) 4Gb DDR3 produced in 2012.

Meanwhile, three advanced innovative processes have been applied to this second-generation 10-nanometer class DRAM product: ① 'ultra-high speed/ultra-low power/ultra-small circuit design', ② 'ultra-high sensitivity cell data sensing system design', and ③ 'second-generation Air Gap process'.

The second-generation 10nm-class DRAM is based on ① 'ultra-high speed/ultra-low power/ultra-small circuit design'Compared to the first generation 10nm-class DRAM, speed has improved by more than 10% and power consumption has been reduced by more than 15%.

② The 'ultra-high sensitivity cell data sensing system design' technology is a technology that improves cell data reading characteristics by more than double by more precisely verifying data stored in the cell through the development of an ultra-precision voltage difference detection system.

③ The '2nd generation Air Gap process' is a process technology that fills the micro-region around a bit line through which current flows with air, which has excellent insulating properties, instead of a specific material.

This technology enables the development of ultra-high sensitivity cells by minimizing the amount of unnecessary charge generated around the bitline, and can significantly reduce the chip size by improving the integration density of the cell array.

Based on these advanced innovative process technologies, Samsung Electronics has secured the industry's first mass production base for next-generation premium DRAM, including DDR5 for servers, LPDDR5 for mobile devices, HBM3 for supercomputers, and GDDR6 for ultra-high-speed graphics.

"We have broken through the limits of semiconductor miniaturization technology through the development of innovative technology based on a paradigm shift," said Jin Gyo-young, President of Samsung Electronics' Memory Business Division. "We will further strengthen our competitive edge by transitioning the premium DRAM market to the 10-nanometer class through the expansion of 1y-nanometer DRAM production."