Memory giant Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. has laid claim to developing the industry's first 50nm DDR2 DRAM chip, which Samsung says will increase production efficiency from the 60nm level by 55 percent.
Samsung's 50nm process uses a selective epitaxial growth (SEG) transistor, a 3D transistor that Samsung claims has a broader electron channel that optimizes the speed of each chip's electrons, helping to reduce power consumption and allow higher performance. The 50nm design's SEG transistor introduces a multi-layered dielectric layer to resolve weak electrical features and sustain higher volumes of electrons, Samsung said.
Samsung said its new 50nm process technology can be applied to a broad range of DRAM chips, including graphics and mobile DRAM. Mass production is slated for 2008.
The 50nm development is a rare bit of good news for the DRAM industry, which has been saddled of late with legal woes in the midst of a governmental shakedown over alleged price fixing
Source: electronic news