Micron CEO: EUV DRAM on Track for 2025, Closing Gap with Rivals

Micron has commenced trial production of DRAM chips using the 1-gamma (1γ) process and plans to enter mass production next year. Until now, all of Micron’s memory chips have relied entirely on DUV lithography equipment. In contrast, its main competitors in the DRAM sector, Samsung and SK Hynix, have invested in the more expensive EUV lithography equipment. Micron has developed performance and cost-competitive DRAM chips on the 1α and 1β processes using standard DUV multiple exposure, and switching to EUV technology can further improve the cost-efficiency of the process nodes.

Micron President and CEO Sanjay Mehrotra, in a conference call with investors and financial analysts, stated that although Micron is slightly behind Samsung and SK Hynix in the use of EUV lithography equipment, the trial production of 1γ process DRAM chips incorporating EUV technology is progressing well, with mass production expected by 2025.

Micron has high expectations for its 1γ process DRAM chips, aiming to leverage EUV technology to construct the smallest DRAM cells in the industry, creating the cheapest and most energy-efficient memory products. This would give Micron a competitive edge in the memory chip market. The trial production is currently being conducted at Micron’s factory in Hiroshima, Japan, where the first batch of 1γ process memory products will also be manufactured. The extent to which EUV lithography equipment will impact the performance of Micron’s DRAM chips remains to be seen.

In fact, Micron has been using ASML’s EUV lithography machines for some time. Micron has been testing these tools, using EUV to replace some DUV steps in the 1α and 1β processes, and gradually making adjustments to improve yield rates. Now, with sufficient experience accumulated, Micron is preparing to deploy EUV lithography machines for large-scale production.