SK Hynix 1βnm DRAM enters partner verification process

In January of this year, SK Hynix’s 1αnm (the fourth generation of 10nm-level) process DDR5 server DRAM obtained Intel certification, making it compatible with the new fourth-generation Xeon Scalable processors (codenamed Sapphire Rapids). It employs EUV (extreme ultraviolet) technology and can reduce power consumption by up to approximately 20% and improve performance by at least 70% compared to DDR4 products.

According to ChosunBiz, SK Hynix’s 1βnm (the fifth generation of 10nm-level) process DDR5 server DRAM has initiated Intel’s compatibility verification program and will enter related processes next month. This indicates that the memory has entered the final preparation stage before mass production, which is not far from official production. Rumors suggest that the new process will further enhance efficiency and be more competitive in terms of cost.

Compared to CPUs and GPUs, although the semiconductor process used in DRAM advances at a much slower pace, almost all DRAM manufacturers are continuously reducing the process nodes. Memory manufacturers are not particularly enthusiastic about adopting new processes, partly because the performance improvement of more advanced process nodes on DRAM is not as evident as that on CPUs and GPUs.

SK Hynix and Samsung are the only two manufacturers of DRAM who adopt EUV technology. Both companies have introduced EUV technology in the 1βnm process, and the current DRAM can reach approximately 12nm. Last year, Samsung announced that it had developed 16Gb DDR5 DRAM using the 1βnm process and had completed compatibility verification with AMD.