SEOUL, KOREA — Samsung Electronics and Hynix Semiconductor are expected to continue to rule the world semiconductor industry by beginning a mass-production of next generation D-RAM semiconductor, “DDR4” at the end of this year. In early March, Samsung Electronics and Hynix Semiconductor announced that they unveiled a prototype of a 30-nano DDR4 memory in the ISSCC 2012 in San Francisco. The two global semiconductor industry leaders developed the prototype through a 30 nano micro process. But beginning towards the end of 2012, they will produce this technology by adopting a 20 nano mass-production process.
A DDR4 DRAM memory is a next-generation DRAM memory which consumes less power and moves data at twice the speed than a DDR3 DRAM memory. The JEDEC standard was applied to the prototype.
Since Samsung Electronics and Hynix Semiconductor are the only two companies that developed the prototype in the world, it is highly likely that the two companies will take the initiative in standardizing DDR4 memories. The DDR4 memory of Samsung Electronics works at 3200㎒ with 1.2 volts in comparison to Hynix at 2400㎒.
The prototypes of the two companies consume 40~50% less power than a DDR3 memory which works at 1.5 volts. The two companies announced that they were planning to mass-produce the prototype for the markets of high-end PCs and small servers by adopting a 20-nano micro process beginning at the end of this year.
“Our DDR4 prototype is eco-friendly, high energy efficient and powerful,” said an executive at Hynix Semiconductor. “We will be able to compete with valuable solutions, not only to the PC and server markets but also to the tablet market.”
According to iSuppli, a market survey company, the portion of DDR4 memories will account for 1% of the DRAM memory market in 2013 and become a main stream by accounting for 45% in 2015. It is also forecast that the portion of DDR3 products will continue to fall to 15% in 2015.
