SK hynix enters validation process for DDR5 DRAM

SK hynix completed the development of the industry-leading 10-nanometer process technology-based fifth-generation DDR5 DRAM and entered a product validation process with U.S. chip giant Intel, the Korean memory chip giant said Tuesday.

The company said its latest DDR5 DRAM memory chips for servers, also called 1bnm DDR5 DRAM chips, are now in the Intel Data Center Certified memory program for DDR5 products targeted at Intel Xeon Scalable platforms.

The DDR5 product SK hynix provided to Intel has an operating speed of 6.4 gigabits per second, making it the fastest DRAM. Compared to the early prototypes of DDR5, the new product processes data 33 percent faster.

The product is also based on the High-K Metal Gate (HKMG) process, which reduces power consumption by over 20 percent compared with the fourth-generation DDR5, also called 1anm DDR5.

“The HKMG process is a next-generation process that uses a high dielectric constant material in the insulating film of the DRAM transistor to prevent current leakage and improve capacitance. It reduces power consumption, while increasing speed,” SK hynix said.

SK hynix emphasized that the development of the latest product will enable the company to provide its global customers with DRAM products that offer high performance while consuming less energy.

“SK hynix expects the validation process of the 1bnm DDR5 product with Intel to go smoothly following a successful validation of our 1anm server DDR5 product compatibility with the 4th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors,” Kim Jong-hwan, head of DRAM Development at SK hynix, said.

“Amid growing expectations that the memory market will start to recover from the second half, we believe our industry-leading DRAM technology, proven again through mass production of the 1bnm process this time, will help us improve earnings from the second half,” Kim added.

Dimitrios Ziakas, vice president of Memory and IO Technologies at Intel, also said, “Intel has been collaborating with the memory industry to ensure compatibility of DDR5 memory on Intel Xeon Scalable platform. SK hynix’s 1bnm is the first of its generation being targeted for the next Intel Xeon Scalable platform.”