Samsung has opened a new research laboratory in Silicon Valley in the United States to boost its efforts in the field of memory chips.
The South Korean tech giant's laboratories are focused on developing the next generation of 3D DRAM technology, which is often referred to as "dream memory."
The new lab will be operated by Device Solutions America, the company that oversees Samsung's semiconductor production in the United States.
With this step, Samsung wants to maintain its position as a global leader in memory chip manufacturing.
The South Korean giant announced in October that it is preparing new 3D structures for dynamic random access memory (DRAM) with dimensions of less than 10 nanometers.
The advanced technology is expected to produce high-capacity dynamic random access memory chips of up to 100GB per chip, Yonhap News Agency reported.
It is worth noting that Samsung is no stranger to pioneering advances in memory, having first released commercially available 3D vertical NAND flash memories in 2013.
Samsung could now become the first company to develop 3D RAM.
3D DRAM is touted as a game-changer in the memory semiconductor industry and has the potential to revolutionize the global DRAM market landscape.
Current dynamic random access memory (DRAM) has a two-dimensional structure with cells densely arranged on a plane.
3D DRAM can improve performance by increasing the density of the same area, either through horizontal arrangement and stacking of cells or through a vertical approach with a two-layer cell structure.
This move comes at a time when the memory chip market is recovering after a difficult year. Last year, Samsung's semiconductor division posted a loss for the first time due to a decline in the chip market.
The post-coronavirus cloud server boom has prompted many technology companies to order large quantities of memory chips.
The global economic recession reduced demand, resulting in an oversupply of memory chips and lower prices.
Memory chip prices are rising again due to demand for AI servers powered by tools like ChatGPT.
Experts expect 2024 to be a good year for Samsung and other semiconductor manufacturers such as Micron and SK Hynix.
Samsung's focus on advanced DRAM may lead to collaboration with Intel.
The LPDDR5X DRAM chip is a potential candidate for Intel's upcoming Lunar Lake processors, which are scheduled to hit the market later this year.
The merger between Samsung and Intel may strengthen the position of the South Korean giant in the memory chip market.