Samsung Leads SK Hynix by About One Quarter in 1d DRAM Development Progress
Nashnova编辑部
Samsung Electronics is on track to complete 1d DRAM development by September 2026 — about one quarter ahead of SK Hynix's December target — reclaiming the lead in the latest DRAM process node, though key uncertainties remain between development and mass production.
What is 1d DRAM, and why does this milestone matter?
1d DRAM is the seventh-generation 10nm-class memory chip — each generation packs more storage cells into the same area, cutting power and raising speed.
Samsung fell behind SK Hynix in the previous 1c generation; Hynix announced completion of 1c-based 16Gb DDR5 development in August 2024.
This means → the 1d node is Samsung's chance to claw back the lead, potentially reshaping competitive dynamics across the DRAM industry.
How far ahead is Samsung, and how much has SK Hynix slipped?
Samsung's targets: development complete by September 2026, mass-production transfer starting December 2026.
SK Hynix originally aimed for August 2026 completion but has pushed it back to late 2026; its mass-production transfer target is now June 2027.
In plain terms = by the time Samsung begins moving chips onto the production line, SK Hynix will just be finishing the lab stage — a gap on both the development and mass-production timelines.
How much has yield improved?
Sources say Samsung's yield improvement — the share of chips that function correctly — has exceeded market expectations, though no specific figures were disclosed.
Hot-test yield (testing chips under high temperatures) has reached target levels; the company is now working on cold-test yield (low-temperature testing, a stricter stability bar).
This means → the "does it work" hurdle is cleared, but "does it work under every extreme condition" still needs time to prove out.
What stands between development and mass production?
Sources note that Samsung's current 1d development process cannot be used directly for mass production; the company is adjusting production-line steps and simplifying certain flows.
This reflects a common industry reality: a working lab sample and factory-scale output are often separated by a process-adaptation gap.
In plain terms = whether the timeline holds depends on finishing those line adjustments on schedule — that is the critical checkpoint for Samsung's production lead to become real.
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