According to industry sources, memory manufacturers like Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are seeking to expand the supply of advanced process LPDDR5X, as major global tech companies such as Apple and NVIDIA are actively integrating it into their next-generation products.
In August, Samsung Electronics announced mass production of its industry's thinnest 12nm LPDDR5X DRAM, supporting 12GB and 16GB capacities. This product features a four-layer stacked structure, reducing thickness by about 9% compared to the previous generation and improving heat resistance by approximately 21.2%. Samsung plans to develop 24GB modules with six layers and 32GB modules with eight layers for ultra-thin LPDDR DRAM packaging for future devices. Additionally, the 16GB LPDDR5X has been validated with MediaTek's Dimensity 9400 flagship mobile platform.
In May 2023, SK Hynix stated its plan to expand the application of its advanced 1b process for LPDDR5T products in the first half of the year. LPDDR5T, launched by SK Hynix in January last year, operates within the JEDEC-defined minimum voltage range of 1.01 to 1.12V, achieving data processing speeds of up to 77GB per second.
Micron's LPDDR5X has also begun mass production, utilizing 1β (1-beta) process technology with a capacity of 16GB and speed grades of up to 9.6Gbps, providing over 12% higher peak bandwidth than the previous generation, which is crucial for enabling AI at the edge.
With the rising demand for high-performance, low-power memory in the AI era, the adoption rate of the latest LPDDR5X in smartphones and high-performance computing (HPC) is steadily increasing.
According to recent industry sources in South Korea, Samsung Electronics plans to develop an investment plan for converting its P2 factory DRAM production line to advanced DRAM by the end of this year. The P2 factory primarily produces 1z DRAM, but its output has significantly decreased. Therefore, Samsung is preparing to shift the P2 1z DRAM production to 1b or more advanced DRAM. By early next year, Samsung's 1b DRAM capacity is expected to reach 100,000 wafers per month.
SK Hynix is also actively working on increasing the production of 5th generation 1b DRAM, with expectations that its monthly output will rise from 10,000 wafers in Q1 of last year to 90,000 wafers by the end of this year. Additionally, SK Hynix plans to further boost 1b DRAM production to between 140,000 and 150,000 wafers in the first half of next year.
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