More Memory

Samsung Electronics has announced the industry's first mass production of 90nanometer(nm) 512Mb DDR SDRAM on 300mm base wafers. Samsung pioneered nanometer level production technology in 2003 with production of 2Gb NAND flash memory in a 90nm process.

The 90nm 512Mb DDR SDRAM with voltage rates of 2.5V is available at both 400 and 333MHz. The new device is already being verified by leading chipset companies.

According to Samsung, the keys to successful production in 90nm process technology are short wave length Argon Fluoride (ArF) light sources that realise the finer circuitry, high dielectric Alumina Hafnium Oxide (AHO) applied within the capacitor to enhance data storage characteristics and the company's three-dimensional transistor circuitry, Recessed Channel Array Transistor.

Market research firm Gartner Dataquest forecasts that the DRAM market will transition from 256Mb to 512Mb as the memory industry mainstay density in the second half of 2004, with the 512Mb market expected to reach $13billion in 2005.