Samsung Electronics announced on September 12 that it has developed the industry's first 60 nanometer (nm) class 2 gigabit (GB) DDR2 DRAM and will begin mass producing it later this year.

Compared with 80nm 2GB DDR2, the 60 nm-class with a speed of 800 megabits per second has improved DRAM performance up to 20%. Moreover, production efficiency for the new 2GB DDR2 will be enhanced by about 40 percent using the finer 60nm-class process technology.

Besides its greater efficiencies, the new 2GB DDR2 device will provide twice as much storage capacity over existing system memory solutions, which will accelerate the move toward higher densities in high-end market segments.

The new high-performance, high-capacity DRAM is well suited for applications in servers, workstations and notebook PCs where operating speed is a major concern.

The 2GB DDR2 device cuts in half the number of components used in a 1GB-based 8GB module, which consists of 72 1GB chips. The new solution consumes approximately 30% less power than a module of the same capacity using 1GB chips. The lower power level generates less heat, improving reliability and minimizing cooling requirements.

Samsung can supply the 2GB DDR2 in four types of modules: 8GB fully-buffered, dual inline memory modules (FBDIMMs); 8GB registered, dual inline memory modules (RDIMMs); 4GB unbuffered, dual inline memory modules (UDIMMs); and 4GB small outline, dual inline memory modules (SODIMMs).

With mass production of the 2GB DDR2 scheduled to begin by year end, Samsung will have its complete DDR2 product line-up in production at the 60nm–class from 512Mb to 2GB. Samsung's 1GB and 512Mb are already being produced using 60nm–class process technology.

Industry research firm Gartner Dataquest expects the 2GB DRAM market to reach US$14 billion – accounting for up to 47 percent of the total DRAM market – by 2011.