Samsung Electronics Starts Operation of Pyeongtaek Line 2... 'Industry First' EUV Applied Mobile DRAM Mass Production

Semiconductor Super-Gap to Lead the 4th Industrial Revolution Era

Samsung Electronics Pyeongtaek Campus Line 2

[Photo by Samsung Electronics]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] Samsung Electronics announced on the 30th that it has started mass production of the industry's first advanced 3rd generation 10-nanometer class (1z) LPDDR5 mobile DRAM using extreme ultraviolet (EUV) process by operating Pyeongtaek Campus Line 2.

Pyeongtaek Line 2 is the world's largest semiconductor production line, with a total floor area of 128,900㎡, equivalent to the size of 16 soccer fields. Starting with the mass production of DRAM, it will be developed into an advanced complex production line producing next-generation V-NAND and ultra-fine foundry products. Samsung Electronics explained that it will play a key role in achieving semiconductor super-gap leadership in the era of the 4th Industrial Revolution.

Earlier, Samsung Electronics started construction of a foundry production line at Pyeongtaek Line 2 in May to prepare for demand for cutting-edge products based on EUV, and in June, it also began construction of a NAND flash production line to respond to the expanding demand for advanced V-NAND. Both lines are scheduled to be fully operational from the second half of 2021.

Pyeongtaek Line 2 was built as part of Samsung Electronics' 180 trillion won investment and 40,000 employment plan announced in August 2018. Following Pyeongtaek Line 1, more than 30 trillion won in large-scale investment has been made in Pyeongtaek Line 2. Samsung Electronics expects to create over 30,000 jobs, including about 4,000 directly employed personnel, as well as partner company workers and construction workers.

Samsung Electronics plans to secure future semiconductor market opportunities through active investment in the Pyeongtaek Campus. Established since 2015, the Pyeongtaek Campus is Samsung Electronics' next-generation semiconductor forward base with a site area of 2.89 million square meters. Pyeongtaek Line 1 began mass production in June 2017, and Pyeongtaek Line 2, which started construction in January 2018, has now shipped DRAM products for the first time.

16GB LPDDR5 Mobile DRAM Based on 1z Nanometer Produced in Mass Using Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) Process by Samsung Electronics

[Photo by Samsung Electronics]

The 16Gb LPDDR5 mobile DRAM shipped from Pyeongtaek Line 2 this time is the first memory mass production product to apply the EUV process, and it is the industry's first 3rd generation 10-nanometer (1z) LPDDR5 product that simultaneously achieves the largest capacity and highest speed ever.

Samsung Electronics strengthened its premium mobile DRAM lineup up to the next-generation 1z process just six months after mass-producing the largest capacity 16GB LPDDR5 DRAM using the 2nd generation 10-nanometer class (1y) process in February this year.

This product achieves an operating speed of 6400Mb/s, which is 16% faster than the existing flagship smartphone 12Gb mobile DRAM. Based on the 16GB product, it can process about 51.2GB per second, equivalent to approximately 10 full HD movies (5GB each) per second.

Additionally, the 16Gb LPDDR5 mobile DRAM can configure a 16GB product with only 8 chips, enabling a package that is 30% thinner compared to the existing product (8 chips of 12Gb + 4 chips of 8Gb). This provides an optimal solution for smartphones with many components such as multi-cameras and 5G, as well as for thickness-sensitive products like foldable phones.

Samsung Electronics plans to secure the market for next-generation 1z 16GB mobile DRAM exclusively to global smartphone manufacturers, targeting the 5G flagship smartphone market launching next year with enhanced artificial intelligence (AI) features. It will also expand usage to automotive products by securing high-temperature reliability.

Lee Jung-bae, Vice President of DRAM Development at Samsung Electronics Memory Business Division, said, "This 1z-nanometer 16Gb LPDDR5 product overcame the highest development difficulty ever and presented a new paradigm to break through the limits of fine processes." He added, "We will continue to expand our premium DRAM lineup to respond more quickly to customer demands and contribute to the expansion of the memory market."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.