Samsung's 1d DRAM Mass Production Plan Takes Shape, Initial Production Could Begin as Early as Late Next Year
Claire Weston
Samsung Electronics is preparing to mass-produce its seventh-generation 1d DRAM, with production equipment targeted for delivery as early as Q2 next year and initial output possible by late next year — a critical milestone for its AI memory roadmap.
What is 1d DRAM, and why does it matter?
1d DRAM is Samsung's seventh-generation 10nm-class DRAM, with circuit line widths of roughly 10–11 nm.
The current commercial generation, 1c DRAM, sits at about 11–12 nm. This means → each ~1 nm shrink pushes both speed and power efficiency up a notch.
In plain terms = more memory cells fit on the same sliver of silicon, running faster while drawing less power.
Why not this year — what is the bottleneck?
Samsung has already finished early 1d DRAM samples and internal production assessments. The market once expected mass production this year.
The holdup: key manufacturing equipment is still under development. No equipment, no production line.
This reflects a broader reality — in advanced DRAM, equipment supply-chain readiness is as much a gate as chip design itself.
What does the current timeline look like?
Samsung is working with multiple partners to develop production equipment, targeting delivery as early as Q2 next year.
An industry source said Samsung and its partners are "actively working on yield and performance stabilization," aiming to install equipment by Q2 or Q3 next year.
After equipment arrives, ramp-up and tuning still take time. Actual initial production is expected no earlier than late next year, with detailed plans likely firming up around year-end this year.
What does this mean for Samsung's AI memory roadmap?
1d DRAM will serve as the core die — the individual chip building block stacked into a package — for Samsung's ninth-generation high-bandwidth memory, HBM5E.
HBM5E is expected to reach commercial use by 2029. This means → 1d DRAM is the foundation layer; its production pace directly determines whether Samsung can deliver next-generation AI memory on schedule.
Put simply = without 1d DRAM, HBM5E has no building blocks. Whether Samsung can ramp volume by late next year is the first real checkpoint on its AI memory timeline.
Content is for reference only, not financial advice.