Elpida Memory, the world’s third largest supplier of DRAM, announced yesterday that it has completed the development on 65nm “extra shrink” (XS) 1Gb DDR3 DRAM ICs that are as cost-competitive as traditional 50nm chips.
The firm says that the new 65nm XS part delivers 25% more chips per 300mm wafer than the firm’s predecessor, the 65nm S process. In addition to the small chip size, Elpida says, the XS shortens the manufacturing process and drastically reduces equipment costs to that of 50nm products.
The new 65nm XS chip is a part of the company’s two-track R&D approach that centers on conventional process shrinks as well as layout innovations that reduce the cost of capital investment. Yesterday’s 65nm XS announcement follows the latter track and uses ArF (Argon-Fluoride) dry scanning equipment to achieve higher circuit density via superior optical resolution during circuit patterning.
Mass production of the cheaper circuits is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2010.
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