Micron starts shipping 1γ DRAMs
Micron Technology Inc. (Boise, Idaho) has announced that it has started shipping 1γ (1-gamma) 16Gbit DDR5 DRAMs to select ecosystem partners and customers.
The company claims it is the first to hit the 1-gamma (1γ) node which refers to the sixth generation of the DRAM process technology at between 19nm and 10nm minimum geometries. As DRAM manufacturers started manufacturing 10nm-class DRAMs they dropped nanometer measurements in favour of 1x, 1y, 1z, and now 1α, 1β, and 1γ.
SK Hynix has labelled the sequence as 1x, 1y, 1z, followed by 1a, 1b and 1c.
The 1γ memory technology is suitable for the full range of applications from the cloud to industrial and consumer applications to edge AI equipment such as AI-PCs, smartphones and automobiles.
Designed to offer speed capabilities of up to 9200MT/s, Micron’s 1γ 16Gbit DDR5 DRAM provides up to a 15 percent speed increase and more than 20 percent power reduction compared to its predecessor, a 16Gbit DDR5 implemented in 1β technology.
The 1γ node allows a 30 percent increase in the number of bits-per-wafer compared to the previous generation, which improves the economics for Micron but it does require the use of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, unlike the 1β node. The memory also includes next-generation high-K metal gate technology although the company did not mention specifically what changes have been made.
“Micron’s expertise in developing proprietary DRAM technologies, combined with our strategic use of EUV lithography, has resulted in a robust portfolio of cutting-edge 1γ-based memory products poised to propel the AI ecosystem forward,” stated Scott DeBoer, chief technology and products officer at Micron, in a statement.
The company plans to introduce 1γ across the breadth of its DRAM range. This includes:
- DDR5 for the data center,
- low-power DRAM for edge AI
- DDR5 SODIMMs for AI-PCs
- LPDDR5X for mobile products and automotive
Micron quoted representatives from AMD and Intel both saying they have begun validating the use of 1γ DRAMs with their server and consumer processors.
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