[News] Micron Races Ahead in 10nm-class DRAM with 1γ DDR5 Samples Delivered to Intel & AMD

As memory giants ramp up their efforts on 10nm-class DRAM, Micron seems to be gaining an advantage, as it announces the shipment of 1γ (1-gamma) DRAM. According to its press release, the company has delivered 1γ (gamma) DDR5 samples to customers like Intel and AMD.

Micron says its 1γ DRAM builds on its 1α and 1β leadership, and could further drive the innovation for cloud, industrial, consumer, and Edge AI devices like AI PCs, smartphones, and automobiles.

Another ZDNet report suggests that Micron’s 1γ is its 6th-gen 10nm-class DRAM with an 11-12nm linewidth, set for mass production this year. South Korean memory giants Samsung and SK hynix, on the other hand, refer to the node as 1c DRAM, as highlighted in the report.

According to Micron, its 1γ-based DRAM addresses key challenges by boosting performance for AI workloads, cutting power use with high-K metal gate CMOS technology, and increasing bit density by 30% using EUV lithography and design optimizations.

Designed to offer speed capabilities of up to 9200MT/s, the 16Gb DDR5 product provides up to a 15% speed increase and over 20% power reduction compared to its predecessor, as per Micron.

Notably, as per TechNews, Micron’s 1γ DRAM is currently produced mainly at its Japan fab, which installed the company’s first EUV equipment in 2024. As production scales up, Micron plans to add more EUV equipment at its fabs in Japan and Taiwan.

Meanwhile, Samsung and SK hynix are also gearing up to commercialize 6th-gen 10nm-class DRAM. MoneyToday revealed in a previous report that SK hynix plans to mass-produce DRAM using the 1c process as soon as in February, and it has recently completed mass production qualification for 1c DDR5.

On the other hand, Samsung is reportedly making adjustments to the 1c DRAM design, and targets to complete by June, 2025, according to MoneyToday.

Read more

• [News] Samsung Has Reportedly Ordered Equipment for 1c DRAM Mass Production, Paving the Way for HBM4
• [News] SK hynix Reportedly Set 1c DRAM Mass Production in Feb, While Samsung Delays by Six Months

(Photo credit: Micron)