SK Hynix’s 3D DRAM Breakthrough: 56.1% Yield Achieved

Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron, the world’s foremost memory manufacturers, are currently engaged in intensifying competition within the storage sector. This rivalry extends beyond the High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) used in data center GPUs and the upcoming GDDR7 memory for next-generation gaming graphics cards, to the future domain of 3D DRAM.

According to Business Korea, SK Hynix recently presented the latest research paper on 3D DRAM technology at the VLSI 2024 summit in Hawaii, USA. The publication highlighted SK Hynix’s accelerated efforts in developing 3D DRAM and their significant breakthroughs, marking the first disclosure of specific quantities and characteristics of their 3D DRAM development.

SK Hynix reported that the yield rate for their 5-layer stacked 3D DRAM has reached 56.1%. This means that out of approximately 1,000 3D DRAM units produced on a single test wafer, 561 devices are functional. SK Hynix also revealed that their experimental 3D DRAM shares similar characteristics with the currently used 2D DRAM. However, they noted that while 3D DRAM holds tremendous potential, a substantial amount of development is still necessary before it can be commercialized. Unlike the stable performance of 2D DRAM, 3D DRAM exhibits unstable performance traits and would require layers ranging from 32 to 192 to become broadly viable.

It is also understood that Samsung and Micron are advancing their development of 3D DRAM. Samsung has successfully stacked 3D DRAM up to 16 layers and aims to achieve mass production by 2030. Micron currently holds 30 patents related to 3D DRAM and is poised to produce superior DRAM than existing products if technological breakthroughs are achieved, without the need for EUV lithography equipment.

Currently, the DRAM market remains highly concentrated, with major players like Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron collectively holding over 96% of the global market share.