SK hynix is also ready to apply
The detailed specifications of Samsung Electronics’ DRAM applied to the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) process were revealed. Samsung Electronics is the first company to mass-produce and ship DRAM by applying EUV process.
According to data from Tech Insight, a chip analysis company on the 24th, Samsung Electronics’ 1z nano DRAM produced through the EUV process was installed in the Galaxy S21 5G product. It is a product with 12 gigabit (Gb) capacity. It was found that the EUV process was applied only to one layer (BLP) where the bitline pad touches. This means that only one EUV mask was used. Tech Insight compared the patterns of products that applied EUV and products that did not, based on the layer. It was introduced that the product pattern line (line) to which the EUV process was applied has significantly reduced the line edge roughness (LER). This explains that short-circuit defects can be reduced.
Tech Insight also compared the product to the Micron 1z process 16Gb DRAM. Since the Samsung product’s capacity is 12Gb, it is meaningless to measure the total die size, but the minimum standard cell size achieved 0.00197µm², which is 3.4% smaller than the micron product. The design rule (D/R) was also 15.7 nanometers, 1.2% shorter than microns (15.9 nanometers). The DRAM design rule usually means the distance between the gate and the gate.
Jeong-dong Choi, a senior technology researcher at Tech Insight, said in an article in the EE Times, “Recently, reducing the size of DRAM cells and design rules is getting more and more difficult. We have achieved a reduced 15.7 nanometer.”
An industry insider said, “Applying EUV technology to DRAM should be approached from an economic point of view other than narrowing the line width,” he said. “Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix do not use multiple patterning technology from any technology node (1z or 1a). “Even if there is an initial investment cost, we would have decided that applying EUV is more economical.”
Samsung Electronics has installed or is installing dedicated EUV lines at the Hwaseong and Pyeongtaek sites in Gyeonggi-do. It is already mass-producing the latest DRAM using EUV.
SK Hynix also announced on the 24th that it will sequentially invest 4,754.9 billion won to secure EUV exposure equipment by December 1, 2025. SK hynix is planning to produce 4th generation 10 nanometer (1a) DRAMs applied with EUV process from the second half of the year at M16, a new plant in Icheon, Gyeonggi-do, completed on February 1 by remodeling and upgrading two existing EUV equipment for research.
Researcher Choi observed that “Micron, including 1a and 1b, will not adopt EUV for DRAM production for the time being.”
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