General
Samsung will start mass producing its next-generation 15- and 16-nanometer (nm) DRAM in the second half of next year, reveals Business Korea. In addition, semiconductor industry sources have been cited saying that the manufacturer aims to make its 18nm DRAM chips account for 30 to 40 percent of its overall DRAM production by the same period of 2017.
By constantly ramping up its current 18nm DRAM yield, Samsung has been able to hold an unchallenged position in the global DRAM market. According to market researcher IHS, the firm had a 46.6 share in the second quarter of this year, which is mainly due to its main competitors not yet manufacturing 18nm chips. They're on track to start in Q2 of 2017.
It's a mystery how Samsung has been able to refine its DRAM process in such a short period of time. Chung Eun-seung, executive vice president of Samsung’s DS division, suggested early last year that the company would mass produce 10-nm class chip technology by 2020. However, if it maintains its current pace, it can expect to start by early 2019.
