SK hynix Develops Industry's First 16 Gb DDR5

SK hynix announced today that it has developed the industry's first 16 Gb DDR5 built using its 1c node, the sixth generation of the 10 nm process. This achievement marks the beginning of extreme scaling towards the 10 nm level in memory process technology. SK hynix has become the first in the industry to overcome technological limitations by raising the level of completion in design, thanks to its industry-leading technology of the 1b, the fifth generation of the 10 nm process.

SK hynix plans to start mass production of the 1c DDR5 within the year for volume shipment next year. The company extended the platform of the 1b DRAM for the development of 1c in order to reduce potential errors and transfer the advantages of the 1b. The new product offers improved cost competitiveness by adopting a new material in certain processes of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) technology, while optimizing the EUV application process overall. SK hynix has also enhanced productivity by more than 30% through technological innovation in design. The operating speed of the 1c DDR5 is expected to be 8 Gbps, an 11% improvement from the previous generation, with power efficiency also improved by more than 9%.

SK hynix expects the adoption of 1c DRAM to help data centers reduce electricity costs by up to 30% as the advancement of the AI era leads to increased power consumption.

"We are committed to providing differentiated values to customers by applying the 1c technology equipped with the best performance and cost competitiveness to our major next-generation products including HBM, LPDDR6, and GDDR7," said Head of DRAM Development Kim Jonghwan. "We will continue to work towards maintaining leadership in the DRAM space and position as the most-trusted AI memory solution provider."