SK hynix unveils 30-year DRAM road map
SK hynix, the world's largest DRAM supplier by revenue, unveiled a new DRAM technology road map for the next 30 years at a symposium in Japan on Tuesday.
Participating in this year's Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Very Large Scale Integration Symposium in Kyoto, the chipmaker also presented its direction for sustainable innovation, the company said.
In a keynote titled 'Driving Innovation in DRAM Technology: Towards a Sustainable Future,' SK hynix Chief Technology Officer Cha Seon-yong addressed the challenges chipmakers face in improving performance and capacity using current scaling technologies.
'To overcome these limitations, SK hynix will apply the 4F2 VG (Vertical Gate) platform and 3D DRAM technology to sub-10-nanometer nodes through innovation in structure, materials and components,' Cha said.
Historically, semiconductor progress has focused on fitting more transistors into limited space, but this approach is now facing physical limitations. The 6F2 cell design enabled the development of 10 nm-class DRAM chips, but it is increasingly seen as insufficient to meet the performance demands of AI.
SK hynix said its next-generation 4F2 VG cell and wafer bonding technology would relocate the circuit portion beneath the cell area, improving cell efficiency and electrical characteristics. The envisioned 4F2 VG platform is expected to minimize DRAM cell area while enabling higher integration, faster speeds, and lower power consumption through its vertical gate structure.
Cha also emphasized 3D DRAM as a key pillar for future development, alongside VG. While some in the industry have raised concerns about the rising cost of stacking layers in 3D DRAM, Cha said such challenges can be addressed through continued technological innovation.
The company also reaffirmed its commitment to developing a new growth engine by advancing key materials and components essential to DRAM, laying a technological foundation for the next three decades.
'Until around 2010, it was widely believed DRAM technology would hit a wall at 20 nanometers, but we've pushed far beyond that through continuous innovation,' Cha said.
'SK hynix will continue to lead long-term innovation and hopes to inspire the next generation of DRAM engineers. We will also maintain collaboration across the industry to bring the future of DRAM to life.'
On Thursday, the final day of the event, Park Joo-dong, vice president and head of the Next Gen DRAM Task Force, will present findings from his recent research on how VG and wafer bonding technologies affect DRAM's electrical characteristics, the company said.
SK hynix recently claimed the top spot in the global DRAM market for the first time, surpassing rival Samsung Electronics in the January–March period. According to market tracker TrendForce, SK hynix secured a 36 percent market share with $9.71 billion in revenue in the first quarter, compared to Samsung's $9.1 billion and 33.7 percent share.
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