Reducing Power Consumption and Increasing Speed... SK Hynix Completes Development of 'LPDDR5X'

Introduction of 'HKMG' Process in Mobile DRAM

SK Hynix's ultra-low power LPDDR5X.
[Photo by SK Hynix Newsroom]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Yeju] SK Hynix announced on the 9th that it has completed the development of LPDDR5X (Low Power Double Data Rate 5X) for mobile DRAM, the world's first to adopt the 'HKMG' process for mobile DRAM, and has started sales.

This LPDDR5X operates within the ultra-low voltage range of 1.01 to 1.12V set by the JEDEC (Joint Electron Device Engineering Council) and succeeded in reducing power consumption by 25% compared to the previous generation, securing the industry's best power efficiency. It also boasts an operating speed of 8.5Gbps, 33% faster than the previous generation.

For LPDDR, known as mobile DRAM, the term LP (Low Power) in the standard name indicates that low power consumption is the top priority. Since mobile devices have limited power, power consumption must be minimized to extend product usage time.

The reason why reduced power consumption is as important as increased operating speed is clear. The LPDDR5X developed by SK Hynix is the first mobile DRAM to adopt the HKMG process, achieving both speed improvement and power consumption reduction. HKMG is a next-generation process that uses materials with a high dielectric constant (K) in the insulating film inside the DRAM transistor to block leakage current and improve capacitance.

Lee Jaehyuk, TL at SK Hynix, said, "We planned a more revolutionary power consumption reduction not only to extend the usage time of mobile devices but also considering ESG aspects," adding, "Thanks to this, we can expect more than a 25% reduction in power consumption compared to the previous generation."

Lee Wookjae, PL, explained, "For smartphones equipped with LPDDR5X, usage time will increase compared to previous generation smartphones. This means that from the consumer's perspective, they can use the device longer on a single charge, and since the charging frequency decreases accordingly, less electricity is used, which ultimately leads to a carbon reduction effect."

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