Samsung Electronics has embarked on establishing a test line to improve the yield of its 7th generation (1d) DRAM, a memory two generations ahead, at the 10nm (nanometer, one billionth of a meter) level. This move is interpreted as a preemptive investment to widen the technological gap with competitors after losing its "superiority" status in the DRAM sector, including high bandwidth memory (HBM).

According to industry sources on Dec. 17, Samsung has started building the 10nm-level 7th generation DRAM test line at its Pyeongtaek Plant 2 (P2) from the fourth quarter of this year. The industry also refers to this test line as a "one path" line. This line is expected to be fully established by the first quarter of next year.

A test line is a facility that tests the mass production potential of new semiconductor products. Once the performance of next-generation chips is confirmed at the research and development (R&D) stage, wafers are introduced here to begin the process of improving mass production yield. Although the exact scale of the 10nm-level 7th generation DRAM facility in Pyeongtaek is not confirmed, test lines are typically installed to process around 10,000 wafers per month.

The 10nm-level 7th generation DRAM is the next lineup of the 6th generation product, which is set for mass production next year. In March, Samsung announced at "MemCon 2024" held in the United States that it plans to mass-produce the 7th generation DRAM by 2026.

The key point is that this test line is being established simultaneously with the preparation for mass production of the 6th generation DRAM. Samsung plans to bring in semiconductor equipment centered on Pyeongtaek Plant 4 (P4) from early next year to produce the 10nm-level 6th generation DRAM. Samsung is currently accelerating yield improvement with the goal of obtaining internal mass production approval (PRA) for the 6th generation DRAM by May next year. There are also movements to dispatch DRAM-related personnel from the Hwaseong plant to Pyeongtaek to smoothly proceed with the mass production of 1c DRAM.

Samsung's move to establish facilities for the next product even before entering the mass production stage of the next work is interpreted as an aggressive investment to make next year the starting year for regaining "superiority."

Meanwhile, Samsung Electronics is also accelerating its investment in another memory, NAND flash. It is recently installing the industry's first 400-layer NAND (V10) test line at Pyeongtaek Plant 1 and filling the Pyeongtaek Plant 4 NAND fab with 286-layer (V9) equipment.