The post Pioneering Excellence in 2023 first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

• Starts supplying 16 GB mobile DRAM package to global smartphone makers
• LPDDR5T to be adopted in the latest smartphones along with MediaTek Dimensity 9300 mobile processor
• “Company to continue developing high-performance DRAM products to bring ‘On-Device AI’ technology to smartphones”

Seoul, November 13, 2023

SK hynix Inc. (or “the company”, www.skhynix.com) announced today that it has started supplying its customers with 16 gigabyte (GB) packages of Low Power Double Data Rate 5 Turbo (LPDDR5T)¹, the fastest mobile DRAM available today that can transfer 9.6 gigabits per second (Gbps).

¹LPDDR: Low power DRAM for mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets, which aims to minimize power consumption and features low voltage operation. The latest specifications are for the 7th generation, succeeding the series that end with 1, 2, 3, 4, 4X, 5 and 5X. LPDDR5T is a newly developed version by SK hynix, and an upgraded product of the 7th generation (5X), prior to the development of the 8th generation LPDDR6.

Since the successful development of its LPDDR5T in January, SK hynix has been preparing to commercialize the product by conducting performance verification with global mobile application processor (AP)² manufacturers.

²Mobile AP: A semiconductor chip that serves as the ‘brain’ of mobile devices, such as smartphones or tablets. It is also the central processing unit in a system-on-chip (SoC) format that contains a complete set of products and systems, including computation, graphics, digital signal processing, etc., in a single chip.

SK hynix explained that LPDDR5T is the optimal memory to maximize the performance of smartphones, with the highest speed ever achieved. The company also emphasized that it would continue to expand the application range of this product and lead the generation shift in the mobile DRAM sector.

The LPDDR5T 16 GB package operates in the ultra-low voltage range of 1.01 to 1.12V set by the Joint Electron Device Engineering Council (JEDEC), and can process 77 GB of data per second, which is equivalent to transferring 15 full high-definition (FHD) movies in one second.

The company recently started shipping its product to a global smartphone manufacturer, Vivo, which also announced that its latest smartphones, X100 and X100 Pro, will be equipped with SK hynix’s up-to-date memory packages.

These devices will also be packed with MediaTek’s newest flagship mobile AP ‘Dimensity 9300’. In August, SK hynix confirmed that it has completed the performance verification for application with MediaTek’s next-generation mobile APs.

“Smartphones are becoming essential devices for implementing On-Device AI³ technology as the AI era kicks into full swing,” said Myoungsoo Park, Vice President and Head of DRAM Marketing at SK hynix. “There is a growing demand for high-performing, high-capacity mobile DRAMs in the market.”

³On-Device AI: Artificial intelligence technology that implements AI capabilities on the device itself, instead of going through computation in a physically separated server. AI functions can become more responsive and provide more customized AI services as smart devices are capable of collecting and computing information on its own.

“We will continue to lead the premium DRAM market based on our technological leadership in AI memories, while staying in tune with market demands,” Park added.

About SK hynix Inc.

SK hynix Inc., headquartered in Korea, is the world’s top tier semiconductor supplier offering Dynamic Random Access Memory chips (“DRAM”), flash memory chips (“NAND flash”) and CMOS Image Sensors (“CIS”) for a wide range of distinguished customers globally. The Company’s shares are traded on the Korea Exchange, and the Global Depository shares are listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. Further information about SK hynix is available at www.skhynix.com, news.skhynix.com.

Media Contact

SK hynix Inc.
Global Public Relations

Technical Leader
Joori Roh
E-Mail: global_newsroom@skhynix.com

Technical Leader
Kanga Kong
E-Mail: global_newsroom@skhynix.com

The post SK hynix Commercializes World’s Fastest Mobile DRAM LPDDR5T first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

• 9.6Gbps product verified to be compatible with Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon mobile processor
• With validation with global major partners completed, SK hynix to provide LPDDR5T to global smartphone customers
• “SK hynix, Qualcomm to collaborate further to accelerate smartphones’ growth into key devices in AI era”

Seoul, October 25, 2023

SK hynix Inc. (or “the company”, www.skhynix.com) announced today that it has started commercialization of the LPDDR5T(Low Power Double Data Rate 5 Turbo)¹, the world’s fastest DRAM for mobile with 9.6Gbps speed.

The company said that it has obtained the validation that the LPDDR5T is compatible with Qualcomm Technologies’ new Snapdragon® 8 Gen 3 Mobile Platform, marking the industry’s first case for such product to be verified by the U.S. company.

¹LPDDR: Low power DRAM for mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets, aimed at minimizing power consumption and that features low voltage operation. The latest specifications are for the 7th generation, succeeding the series that end with 1, 2, 3, 4, 4X, 5 and 5X. LPDDR5T is a newly developed version by SK hynix, and an upgraded product of the 7th generation (5X), prior to the development of the 8th generation LPDDR6.

SK hynix has proceeded with the compatibility validation of the LPDDR5T, following the completion of the development in January, with support from Qualcomm Technologies. The completion of the process means that it is compatible with Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.

With the validation process with Qualcomm Technologies, a leader in wireless telecommunication products and services, and other major mobile AP(Application Processor) providers successfully completed, SK hynix expects the range of the LPDDR5T adoption to grow rapidly.

The company plans to provide 16GB-capacity product, a combination of multiple single LPDDR5T chips, of which data processing speed is 77GB per second, equivalent to processing 15 Full-HD movies within a second.

The LPDDR5T product also holds an edge in power consumption, performing at the lowest voltage of the 1.01~1.12V standards stipulated by the Joint Electron Device Engineering Council, or JEDEC.

SK hynix applied the HKMG (High-K Metal Gate)² process to bring a remarkable improvement in both speed and power efficiency. With the adoption of this technology, the company expects the LPDDR5T to gain a large share of the market before the next-generation LPDDR6 is introduced.

²HKMG (High-K Metal Gate): A next-generation process that uses a material with a high dielectric constant (K) in the insulating film inside DRAM transistors to prevent leakage currents and to improve capacitance. It reduces power consumption, while increasing speed. SK hynix was the industry’s first to integrate the process in mobile DRAM in November.

“Generative AI applications running on our new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 enables exciting new use cases by executing LLMs and LVMs on device with minimal latency and at the lowest power,” said Ziad Asghar, Senior Vice President of Product Management at Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “Our collaboration with SK hynix pairs the fastest mobile memory with our latest Snapdragon mobile platform and delivers amazing on-device, ultra-personalized AI experiences such as AI virtual assistants for smartphone users.”

“We are thrilled that we have met our customers’ needs for the ultra-high performance mobile DRAM with the provision of the LPDDR5T,” said Sungsoo Ryu, head of DRAM Product Planning at SK hynix.

Ryu said that smartphones are expected to grow their presence as the key devices where the AI technologies are fully applied onto in coming years. “I believe the smartphone functions, backed by excellent DRAM for mobile, should continue to improve. We will continue to work toward strengthening our collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies to advance the technology in this space.”

Snapdragon is a trademark or registered trademark of Qualcomm Incorporated.
Snapdragon is a product of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries.

About SK hynix Inc.

SK hynix Inc., headquartered in Korea, is the world’s top tier semiconductor supplier offering Dynamic Random Access Memory chips (“DRAM”), flash memory chips (“NAND flash”) and CMOS Image Sensors (“CIS”) for a wide range of distinguished customers globally. The Company’s shares are traded on the Korea Exchange, and the Global Depository shares are listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. Further information about SK hynix is available at www.skhynix.com, news.skhynix.com.

Media Contact

SK hynix Inc.
Global Public Relations

Technical Leader
Kanga Kong
E-Mail: global_newsroom@skhynix.com

Technical Leader
Joori Roh
E-Mail: global_newsroom@skhynix.com

The post SK hynix’s LPDDR5T, World’s Fastest Mobile DRAM, Completes Compatibility Validation with Qualcomm first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

• LPDDR5T’s 9.6 Gbps operating speeds verified using MediaTek’s next-generation flagship mobile chipset
• SK hynix to strengthen technology leadership by supplying the world’s fastest mobile DRAM

SK hynix’s LPDDR5T (Low Power Double Data Rate 5 Turbo) has completed performance verification for application with MediaTek’s next-generation mobile APs. Developed in January 2023, the LPDDR5T is the world’s fastest mobile DRAM, achieving operating speeds of 9.6 gigabits per second (Gbps).

Defying Expectations to Achieve Groundbreaking Operating Speeds

SK hynix provided samples of its LPDDR5T to MediaTek, a leading global fabless semiconductor company, in February 2023 for testing. The performance tests were carried out using the next-generation MediaTek Dimensity flagship chipset, which is part of their Dimensity Platform series of mobile APs. Set to launch within this year, MediaTek’s next-generation flagship mobile chipset will utilize 9.6 Gbps memory—the fastest operating speed for mobile devices.

The global semiconductor industry had previously projected that operating speeds of up to 9.6 Gbps would only be achievable with future iterations such as the LPDDR6, which is scheduled to be released after 2026. SK hynix has expedited this timeline with the LPDDR5T.

Applied to a Range of Mobile Devices for 2024 Debut

As the standardization approval process with the Joint Electron Device Engineering Council (JEDEC) is already in its final stages, the LPDDR5T is gearing up for its full market debut. SK hynix predicts that the generational change of DRAM for mobile devices will accelerate from next year when products are standardized and market supply begins in earnest.

“As a result of our close collaboration with SK hynix, MediaTek’s next-generation flagship Dimensity chipset is the world’s first to be validated at LPDDR5T operating speeds up to 9.6Gbps, enabling upcoming devices to unleash an unprecedented level of mobile performance,”  said JC Hsu, Corporate Sr. Vice President and General Manager of Wireless Communications Business Unit at MediaTek. “Using this updated architecture, developers and users alike will be able to get more out of their devices than ever before.”

Sungsoo Ryu, head of DRAM Product Planning at SK hynix, said: “SK hynix’s partnership with MediaTek is set to play a key role in the LPDDR5T’s market entry. Starting with this performance verification, we will expand the scope of product supply to further strengthen the leadership of the mobile DRAM market.”

The post SK hynix’s LPDDR5T Verified as World’s Fastest Mobile DRAM Using MediaTek’s Next-Gen Mobile Platform first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

• Offers fastest operating speed in DDR5 history, ultra-low power consumption with adoption of HKMG process
• Expects to successfully complete validation of industry-leading 1bnm DDR5
• Mass production of industry’s most advanced 1bnm DDR5 to help improve 2H23 earnings
• 1bnm technology to be applied to high-end products including LPDDR5T, HBM3E in 1H24

Seoul, May 30, 2023

SK hynix Inc. (or “the company”, www.skhynix.com) announced today that it has completed the development of the industry’s most advanced 1bnm, the fifth-generation of the 10nm process technology, while the company and Intel began a joint evaluation of 1bnm and validation in the Intel Data Center Certified memory program for DDR5 products targeted at Intel ® Xeon® Scalable platforms.

The move comes after SK hynix became the first in the industry to reach 1anm readiness and completed Intel’s system validation of the 1anm DDR5, the fourth-generation of the 10nm technology.

The DDR5 products provided to Intel run at the world’s fastest speed of 6.4Gbps (Gigabits per second), representing a 33% improvement in data processing speed compared with test-run products in early days of DDR5 development¹.

¹ DDR5 products for test run in early days of development ran at 4.8Gbps, while the maximum speed of DDR5 stipulated in the JEDEC standards is 8.8Gbps

Besides, with the adoption of high-K metal gate² process, the 1bnm DDR5 products reduce power consumption by over 20% than 1anm DDR5 products.

² HKMG process: A next-generation process that uses a high dielectric constant (K) material in the insulating film of the DRAM transistor to prevent leakage current and improve capacitance. It reduces power consumption, while increasing speed. SK hynix introduced the world’s first HKMG process for mobile DRAM in November and adopted the technology for its 9.6Gbps LPDDR5T mobile DRAM in January 2023

SK hynix emphasized that the development of the latest 1bnm technology will enable the company to provide its global customers with DRAM products that offer both high-performance and performance per watt³.

³ Performance per watt: an indicator of how much computation is performed per watt of power consumed

“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,” Jonghwan Kim, 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 said, adding that the 1bnm process will be adopted for a wider range of products such as LPDDR5T and HBM3E⁴ in the first half of 2024.

⁴ HBM3E (HBM3 Extended): HBM3E is the 5^th generation High Bandwidth Memory product, succeeding the previous generations HBM, HBM2, HBM2E and HBM3. SK hynix plans to prepare samples of HBM3E product that runs at 8Gbps data processing speed by the second half and begin mass production in 2024

Intel Vice President of Memory and IO Technologies, Dr. Dimitrios Ziakas said, “Intel has been collaborating with the memory industry to ensure compatibility of DDR5 memory on Intel® Xeon® Scalable platform. SK hynix 1bnm is the first of its generation being targeted for the next Intel® Xeon® Scalable platform” and the Intel Data Center Certified memory program.

Meanwhile, SK hynix also said that additional validation processes to apply its 1anm DDR5, of which the first compatibility test has been already completed, onto the next generation of Intel® Xeon® Scalable platform are also underway.

<History of SK hynix’s developments & accomplishments of DDR5 products>

• Industry’s first launch of DDR5 in October 2020
• Industry’s first shipment of 24Gb DDR5 samples in December 2021
• Industry’s first to get Intel’s validation for server 1anm DDR5 in January 2023
• Industry’s first provision of samples of server 1bnm DDR5 to Intel in April 2023

About SK hynix Inc.

SK hynix Inc., headquartered in Korea, is the world’s top tier semiconductor supplier offering Dynamic Random Access Memory chips (“DRAM”), flash memory chips (“NAND flash”) and CMOS Image Sensors (“CIS”) for a wide range of distinguished customers globally. The Company’s shares are traded on the Korea Exchange, and the Global Depository shares are listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. Further information about SK hynix is available at www.skhynix.com, news.skhynix.com.

Intel, the Intel logo, and other Intel marks are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries.

Media Contact

SK hynix Inc.
Global Public Relations

Technical Leader
Kanga Kong
E-Mail: global_newsroom@skhynix.com

Technical Leader
Joori Roh
E-Mail: global_newsroom@skhynix.com

The post SK hynix Enters Industry’s First Compatibility Validation Process for 1bnm DDR5 Server DRAM first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

From breaking barriers for performance with HBM3 to developing the world’s fastest mobile DRAM, LPDDR5T, SK hynix’s product portfolio is full of industry-leading solutions which have pushed technological limits. But how exactly does the company realize this rapid evolution in its solutions? What innovations and processes are applied to these products to take them to the next level?

To shed light on these technologies, SK hynix Newsroom is launching its seven-part Tech Pathfinder series. The articles in the series will introduce some of the company’s most advanced products globally renowned for their unprecedented qualities including industry-leading processing speed, data storage, and computational capabilities. Through the series, readers will gain a better grasp of the concepts behind these innovative products and gradually become more familiar with the advancement of semiconductors and technology in general.

SK hynix’s Secret Behind Its DRAM Development

In November 2022, SK hynix released a mobile DRAM with the world’s lowest operating power of 1.01-1.12V and an operating speed of 8.5 Gbps—Low Power Double Data Rate 5X (LPDDR5X). The company then made another historic step in January 2023 with the development of its Low Power Double Data Rate 5 Turbo (LPDDR5T), the world’s fastest mobile DRAM which offers an operating speed of 9.6 Gbps.

▲ Figure 1. SK hynix’s LPDDR5 Lineup Made With the HKMG Process

Smartphone mobile DRAMs need to be small, low-power devices which provide fast processing speeds to perform more functions. However, as the industry reaches the limits of scaling¹, such mobile DRAM technology only becomes more complex. So, what is the secret in SK hynix’s technology that has allowed the company to remain a powerhouse in mobile DRAM development? The answer lies in the world’s first application of the High-K Metal Gate (HKMG) process to mobile DRAM. This article will summarize the principle of the HKMG process and how this technology was applied to the LPDDR5X and LPDDR5T.

¹Scaling: The reduction in size of semiconductors to produce better device performance, power efficiency, and cost.

HKMG Process: Key to the World’s Fastest Mobile DRAM With Lowest-Power Consumption

▲ Figure 2. SK hynix Applies HKMG Process to Develop the World’s Fastest Mobile DRAM

Although HKMG was commercialized over a decade ago, various challenges were encountered during the development of this groundbreaking technology. There were four major obstacles: the extreme complexity of the technology, the high-processing cost compared to conventional materials, unpredictable risks, and the difficulty in controlling electron leakage. More importantly, the whole HKMG process had never been applied to mobile DRAM before. Despite facing these issues, SK hynix took on the challenge of changing the paradigm of mobile DRAMs.

More specifically, applying the HKMG process to mobile DRAM peripheral (peri) transistors posed a major challenge. DRAMs typically consist of cell transistors which store data and peri transistors which conduct data input and output. It is therefore necessary to minimize the impact of the HKMG process on the cell as the connection between the cell and peri transistor can encounter problems when applying the HKMG process to the periphery.

Accordingly, the area of the peripheral circuit that powers the cell is also reduced as the cell scale is minimized. This leads to a shrinking of the transistors that supply the charge, which, consequently, reduces the thickness of the gate insulator. These insulators for conventional mobile DRAMs are generally made from silicon oxide (SiON), which suffers from speed limitations when it is thinned. SiON also faces an efficiency problem as, when the thickness of the insulator decreases, the amount of leakage current increases and this leads to a loss in power.

SK hynix’s solution to these issues was to apply High-K material to the insulation film as the material has a permittivity² that is about five times higher than conventional SiON insulation film. To put this into context, when the same voltage is applied, the High-K insulation film can keep five times more charge than a conventional SiON material with the same area and thickness. This means that the thickness and leakage current can be reduced by making the insulation film with High-K material.

²Permittivity: Degree of how many electrons can be stored inside a gate.

However, the combined use of polysilicon (poly-Si)—applied in existing gates—and High-K materials increased the gate’s resistance, so a higher voltage is required and electrons slow down. To combat this, the poly-Si gate was replaced with a metal gate. With the combination of a gate oxide that possesses a high permittivity and a metal electrode, SK hynix successfully created an integrated HKMG solution.

▲ Figure 3. Description of HKMG Technology

Pioneering the Application of the HKMG Process

In preparation for the development stage, SK hynix first set up a taskforce comprised of device and process experts in the development, research, and manufacturing fields. The taskforce, the first of its kind for a derivative product³, consisted of members of the and PE (Product Engineering) team. Having begun working together from the initial stages of the process development, the taskforce resolved issues such as reliability and quality risks. Their main goal was to develop an integrated solution incorporating HKMG technology to the existing process while minimizing costs by maintaining parts of the existing process as much as possible.

³Derivative product: A product that is derived from a core product. Core products, a kind of prototype in which existing technology and elements are applied, allow manufacturers to establish a leadership position in the related technology as they can be quickly developed. The resultant derivative products feature various capacity and performance modifications to meet market needs.

It was also necessary to develop a method for utilizing the characteristics of the HKMG process to both increase speed and reduce power usage. However, due to the limitations in the chip’s size, lowering the electrical capacity to reduce power was not possible. Consequently, it became necessary to create a design that would lower the voltage. To this end, innovative design ideas were produced which eventually led to low-power solutions. These solutions included using a power architecture that would lower the design’s internal power and lowering the gate level in sleep mode to significantly reduce power consumption.

SK hynix Rewrites the Rules With LPDDR5X and LPDDR5T

▲ Figure 4. SK hynix’s World-First Application of HKMG Process to Mobile DRAM Enables Ultra-High Speed & Ultimate Power Efficiency

While effectively controlling leakage current, LPDDR5X offers a 33% increase in speed (8.5 Gbps) and a 21% power usage reduction compared to the previous generation. This increase in energy efficiency ensured the product reached its environmental goal of carbon reduction as well as meeting target technological specifications. Skip forward two months and LPDDR5T was developed. Operating in the same ultra-low voltage range as LPDDR5X, it is 13% faster at 9.6 Gbps to make it the fastest mobile DRAM available today.

SK hynix’s mobile DRAM which applies the HKMG process has been praised for its world-class performance. The company is also promoting the establishment of a new specification for mobile DRAM at the Joint Electron Device Engineering Council (JEDEC). SK hynix’s next step is to actively leverage the experience gained from the successful development of the HKMG process to bring even greater innovation to the next generation of technologies and products. In other words, LPDDR5X and LPDDR5T are just the beginning.

<Other articles from this series>

[Tech Pathfinder] Small Size, Big Impact: Unveiling the Latest Advances in Semiconductor Packaging and Miniaturization

The post [Tech Pathfinder] HKMG Opens the Door to Leading Mobile DRAM LPDDR5X & LPDDR5T first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

¹HKMG process: A next-generation process that uses a high dielectric constant (K) material in the insulating film of the DRAM transistor to prevent leakage current and improve capacitance. It reduces power consumption while increasing speed. SK hynix introduced the world’s first HKMG process for mobile DRAM in November 2022.

Following the release of samples of the LPDDR5T, the development team sat down to discuss how they once again made the “first and best” product of its kind.

▲The developers of LPDDR5T gathered together to discuss how they improved the product’s speed and power efficiency (from left to right: Kim Hyun-seung, Design Quality Innovation; Kim Ki-ryong, Mobile PE1; Jeong Seung-hyun, DRAM Product Planning; Song Kyung-geun, DRAM PMO; and Cho Sun-ki, Interface)

LPDDR5T: The Fastest Mobile DRAM With Improved Power Efficiency

By adding the letter “T” for Turbo to the standard LPDDR5, it is clear that LPDDR5T is focused on speed. LPDDR5T offers operating speeds of 9.6 Gbps (gigabits per second), an increase of 13% from the LPDDR5X’s speed of 8.5 Gbps.

▲The physical size of LPDDR5T, the fastest mobile DRAM developed using the HKMG process that enables faster speeds while reducing power consumption

In addition to its speed, LPDDR5T also offers ultra-low power consumption. It operates at 1.01 to 1.12 volts, the lowest voltage standard set by the Joint Electron Device Engineering Council (JEDEC). The product’s ultra-low power capabilities are possible thanks to the next-generation HKMG process. This move to further improve energy efficiency aligns with SK hynix’s ESG strategy, and highlights how the company is always looking to push the boundaries of technology.

“We will not be content with our current achievements and continue to challenge ourselves to create the ‘best and the first,’” said the developer team behind LPDDR5T.

Never Content With Being the Best

▲Looking at the newly developed LPDDR5T sample, Kim Hyun-seung recalls when the HKMG process was first applied to a mobile DRAM

The news of SK hynix successfully developing LPDDR5T surprised many as the company had released the industry’s highest performance mobile DRAM LPDDR5X just two months earlier. As it usually takes a reasonable amount of time to improve the performance of DRAMs, it was unusual to see SK hynix announce that it developed a faster product in such a short period.

“With our earlier development of LPDDR5X, we made a quantum leap in performance by introducing the world’s first HKMG process for mobile DRAM. This enabled us to achieve operating speeds above the JEDEC standard of 8.5 Gbps during tests for LPDDR5X,” said Kim Hyun-seung, a technical leader of the Design Quality Innovation team who led the development of both LPDDR5X and LPDDR5T. “We were convinced that we could develop an even faster product at the time, so we continued our research and developed LPDDR5T.”

▲ Kim Ki-ryong (center) discusses how he had to change various options during the development process of LPDDR5T to add stability to a product that had unprecedented operating speeds

Kim Ki-ryong, a technical leader of the Mobile PE1 team who tested the product, talked about how adjustments were needed during the development process.

He said: “During the development of LPDDR5X, we achieved speeds that were higher than the standard operating speed of 8.5 Gbps. However, we encountered problems as higher speeds decreased the stability of the product. So, we worked on changing the design options for future products to minimize the problems that could occur. This was important as it led to the development of LPDDR5T.”

▲Jeong Seung-hyun (center) explaining what it means to have the highest-operating speed of 9.6 Gbps and expressing his pride in making it possible

“LPDDR5T’s operating speed of 9.6 Gbps was considered a speed only achievable with the next generation LPDDR6,” explained Jeong Seung-hyun, a technical leader at DRAM Product Planning. “SK hynix being able to develop LPDDR5T has proved once again that our company is a leader in the mobile DRAM market.”

Song Kyung-geun, a technical leader at DRAM PMO who oversaw the LPDDR5T project, said: “LPDDR5T would not have existed if we were just content with LPDDR5X. This product highlights the challenging spirit of our members who did not stop at developing a product that already had the world’s best performance and power efficiency, but continued striving to bring a product with even better performance to the market.”

SK hynix’s Innovative DNA Overcomes Technical Challenges Once Again

As always, there were many challenges in developing LPDDR5T. First and foremost was the need to convince internal members about developing the product. As Jeong from DRAM Product Planning explains: “People inside our company were even asking if it was necessary to develop LPDDR5T. As we had just developed and released LPDDR5X, it was the general opinion that we should focus on the next generation LPDDR6.”

Kim Ki-ryong also had his own reservations. “I even asked myself if there would be demand for LPDDR5T and whether the product would be marketable. But members of DRAM Product Planning including Jeong saw our willingness to take on a challenge. They started to actively communicate with clients to confirm that the demand and marketability were there for the product, and I was able to test LPDDR5T with confidence from then on,” Kim said.

In addition, there were some challenges that arose due to the product being the fastest of its kind on the market that no one has been able to develop until now. Cho Sun-ki, a technical leader of the Interface team who was in charge of designing the LPDDR5 circuit, explains the challenges the team faced in the verification phase of LPDDR5T.

“The biggest challenge was that it was difficult to physically verify that the high speeds of the product could be realized. Even if the product itself can achieve 9.6 Gbps, there was no test equipment that could verify this while the system also had limits on speed. To solve this issue, we traced every item that could affect the speed and set the speed target values for each item so we could manage and measure better,” Cho recalls.

“There was never a moment when I doubted that the LPDDR5T project would be successful,” said Kim Hyun-seung. “I didn’t expect any major difficulties because the operating speed was already high enough. Although there was a defect caused by the high speed, I believed that we could solve it if we worked together,” he added, showing his absolute trust in the people who he worked together with on this project.

A “One-Team Spirit” Creating the “First and the Best”

▲Cho Sun-ki (left) attributes the success of LPDDR5T’s development to SK hynix’s “one-team spirit” and thanks all the members who contributed

Meanwhile, Cho attributed the success of the LPDDR5T development to SK hynix’s unique “one-team spirit.”

He said: “LPDDR5T is getting a lot of attention because it has the highest operating speed while maintaining an ultra-low voltage, and those of us who are participating in this interview may be viewed as the drivers of the success. However, I would like to highlight those behind the scenes who concerted effort on a much bigger scale with the ‘one-team spirit’. Together, we strived to become the premier semiconductor company in the world, and this was the reason for this project’s success. I think we were able to grow to the next level through this process. I need to give a special thanks to the members who produced the semiconductor device that made it possible to apply the HKMG process.”

Kim Ki-ryong added: “LPDDR5T has now been successfully developed, but there still is a way to go to mass-produce the product. All of us at SK hynix will continue to work as a team to achieve the successful launch of LPDDR5T and create the ‘first and best’ once again.”

▲Song Kyung-geun (center) saying he was proud to secure technological leadership through the development of LPDDR5T

In closing, Song at DRAM PMO expressed SK hynix’s ambition to lead the mobile DRAM market with LPDDR5T.

“We are proud that we have been able to secure technological leadership with LPDDR5T. We have reinforced our commitment to create the first and the best products possible through continuous innovation,” he said. “We will do our best to ensure that LPDDR5T can be mass-produced in the near future so it can be used in various mobile devices by consumers.”

The post Interview: How SK hynix Pushed Technological Limits to Make the Fastest Mobile DRAM, LPDDR5T first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

• Data transmission speed increases by 13%, with improved energy-efficiency
• Application of HKMG process to DRAM maximizes product performance
• “SK hynix to spur technology development, aiming to be industry’s game changer”

Seoul, January 25, 2023 – SK hynix Inc. (or “the company”, www.skhynix.com) announced today that it has developed the world’s fastest mobile DRAM ‘LPDDR5T (Low Power Double Data Rate 5 Turbo)’ and provided sample products to customers.

The new product, LPDDR5T, operates at a data rate of 9.6 gigabits per second (Gbps), 13% faster than the previous generation LPDDR5X¹ unveiled in November 2022. To highlight the maximum speed the product features, SK hynix added ‘Turbo’ at the end of the standard name LPDDR5.

¹LPDDR: Low power DRAM for mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets, aimed at minimizing power consumption and features low voltage operation. LPDDR5X DRAM is the 7th generation product, succeeding the series of such that ends with 1, 2, 3, 4, 4X and 5. LPDDR5T is a newly developed version by SK hynix, which is an upgraded product of the 7th generation (5X) prior to the development of the 8th generation LPDDR6.

LPDDR5T, which operates in the ultra-low voltage range of 1.01 to 1.12V set by the JEDEC (Joint Electron Device Engineering Council), is a product that not only features utmost speed but ultra-low power consumption.

“The company pushed the technology to new limits in just two months after LPDDR5X, mobile DRAM with 8.5Gbps specification, was introduced to the market in November 2022,” SK hynix said. “We will solidify our leadership in the mobile DRAM market by providing products of various storage capacities that meet customers’ needs.”

SK hynix said it provided customers with samples of 16 gigabyte (GB) multi-chip package, which combines multiple LPDDR5T chips into one package. The packaged product can process 77GB of data per second, which is equivalent to transferring fifteen FHD (Full-HD) movies in one second.

SK hynix plans to begin mass production of LPDDR5T using 1anm, the fourth generation of the 10nm technology, in the second half of the year.

Meanwhile, SK hynix has, again, integrated the HKMG (High-K Metal Gate)² process in the latest product that enabled the new product to deliver the best performance, and expects LPDDR5T, which substantially widened the technology gap, “to lead the market before the development of the next generation LPDDR6.”

²HKMG: A next-generation process that uses a material with a high dielectric constant (K) in the insulating film inside DRAM transistors to prevent leakage currents and to improve capacitance. It reduces power consumption while increasing speed. SK hynix had become the industry’s first to integrate the process in mobile DRAM in Nov. 2022.

The IT industry forecasts an increasing demand for memory chips with advanced specifications as the 5G smartphone market expands further. In this trend, SK hynix expects the application of LPDDR5T to expand beyond smartphones to artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and augmented/virtual reality (AR/VR).

“With the development of LPDDR5T, the company has fulfilled customers’ demand for ultrahigh-performance products,” said Sungsoo Ryu, Head of DRAM Product Planning at SK hynix. “We will continue to work on the technology development to lead the next-generation semiconductor market and become the game changer to the IT world.”

About SK hynix Inc.

SK hynix Inc., headquartered in Korea, is the world’s top tier semiconductor supplier offering Dynamic Random Access Memory chips (“DRAM”), flash memory chips (“NAND flash”) and CMOS Image Sensors (“CIS”) for a wide range of distinguished customers globally. The Company’s shares are traded on the Korea Exchange, and the Global Depository shares are listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. Further information about SK hynix is available at www.skhynix.com, news.skhynix.com.

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