Mobile DRAM soon to go super powered with 6GB memory

10 Sep 2015

Samsung's LPDDR4 DDRAM chips. Image via Samsung

Despite a flagging mobile sales business, Samsung could soon create the next super-powered dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) chip capable of offering 6Gb of memory for mobile phones.

Samsung discussed the potential of its technology after the reveal of its latest DRAM product, its 12Gb LPDDR4 – which stands for low-power, double-data-rate 4.

Its launch marks a major improvement on the previous DRAM chip 20 nanometre-based 8Gb LPDDR4, making it 30pc faster at 4,266Mbps, and twice as fast as DDR4 DRAM made available for PCs, while consuming 20pc less energy.

More importantly for mobile devices, the fact that the manufacturing productivity of the 12Gb LPDDR4 has been raised by more than 50pc of its predecessor means that Samsung expects it to fuel demand for higher memory capacity in flagship mobile devices.

This latest DRAM chip is capable of 3GB or 6GB of mobile DRAM in a single package using just two chips and four chips respectively, while being the only solution that can provide a 6Gb LPDDR4 package.

“Based on the new 12Gb LPDDR4, the 6GB package can easily fit into the same space used for 3GB LPDDR4 packages currently available, therefore meeting the need for greater design compatibility and manufacturing productivity in advanced mobile devices,” Samsung said.

Speaking of the DRAM’s future, the company said that its application areas will likely expand beyond smartphones and tablets and into ultra-slim PCs, digital appliances and automotive devices in the years to come.

Colm Gorey was a senior journalist with Silicon Republic

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