[News] Samsung Has Reportedly Ordered Equipment for 1c DRAM Mass Production, Paving the Way for HBM4

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Though still working towards the last mile on its 12hi HBM3e qualification with NVIDIA, Samsung seems to be advancing steadily on its HBM4 roadmap. According to South Korean media outlet ZDNet, Samsung is gearing up for mass production of 1c DRAM, a critical component that will determine the company’s competitiveness in HBM4.

According to the report, Samsung has begun ordering equipment from its partners, such as Lam Research, to establish a 1c DRAM production line at its Pyeongtaek Plant 4 (P4). The installation is expected to kick off in the first quarter of 2025, the report suggests.

To be more specific, the report indicates that the introduction of Samsung’s production equipment for 1c DRAM is expected to begin in February. Moreover, additional investments will likely follow once the yield rates stabilize, as per the report.

It is worth noting that previously, 1c DRAM production was only limited to pilot lines. However, Samsung did make good progress on 1c DRAM, as the company reportedly secured “good dies” (fully functional chips) for the first time in the third quarter of 2024, according to ZDNet.

A previous report by Maeli Business Newspaper indicated that the memory giant aims to begin mass production of HBM4 promptly upon completing development by the end of 2025.

The ZDNet report further notes that 1c DRAM represents the 6th-generation 10nm-class DRAM, with a circuit line width of approximately 11-12 nm. It is one generation ahead of the currently commercialized 1b (5th-generation) DRAM and is expected to reach full commercialization starting next year.

Notably, as Samsung has utilized 1a (4th-generation) DRAM for HBM3e, it plans to switch to 1c DRAM for HBM4, as per ZDNet. Meanwhile, SK hynix and Micron are expected to stick to 1b DRAM for both HBM3e and HBM4, the report notes.

Therefore, whether Samsung can successfully achieve mass production of HBM4 by adopting 1c DRAM would be a key factor for it to regain the throne in the HBM market, as indicated by the report.

On the other hand, according to Business Korea, Samsung has also been making strides in cutting-edge NAND, as it has finalized the development of 400-layer NAND technology. The report notes that Samsung initiated the technology transfer to the mass production line at its Pyeongtaek Plant 1 last month.

As per Business Korea, this advancement cements Samsung’s leadership in NAND flash innovation as it gears up to compete with rivals such as SK hynix, which recently began mass-producing 321-layer NAND.

Read more

• [News] Jensen Huang Addresses Samsung Omission: Nvidia to Expedite HBM3E Validation
• [News] Samsung Reportedly Starts Developing Custom HBM4 for Big CSPs, Eyeing Mass Production by 2025

(Photo credit: Samsung)