Micron DRAM with 1α node
The miniaturization of dynamic RAM memory chips it cannot follow the same pace as processors for a variety of reasons. The first constraint is given by the size of the single cell formed by a transistor and a capacitor. The latter cannot be too small otherwise it is unable to retain the value of the bit. The second constraint is given by photolithography, the semiconductor manufacturing process that allows chips to be obtained from a silicon wafer.Micron has overcome this last obstacle, using a known technique as "multiple patterning" and described in detail on the official blog of the manufacturer. While the competitors are stopped at node 1z, Micron has used node 1α.
The name of the node corresponds to the so-called “half-pitch”, ie half the distance between the memory cells. With node 1α, the value is less than 11 nanometers. The new DRAM will be available with 8 and 16 Gb chips that consume 15% less than the previous 1z generation. The density increase is 40%.
Micron will start producing DDR4 and LPDDR4 DRAMs, but is ready for future LPDDR5. The arrival on the market is expected in the coming months.
Source: Micron