Production capacity at Micron Technology's DRAM fab in Hiroshima, Japan, which was formerly owned by Elpida Memory, will ramp up by 20% through upgrading its 30nm process to 25nm, according to industry sources.

　　The capacity ramp-up will merely reflect the fab's migration to a more advanced process geometry rather than capacity expansion, the sources noted.

　　Micron's Hiroshima plant is dedicated to mainly producing mobile DRAM chips, with monthly capacity reaching almost 120,000 12-inch wafers, the sources revealed.

　　Meanwhile, capacity at Taiwan-based Rexchip Electronics, which was previously run by Elpida, is estimated at about 80,000 wafers monthly, the sources said. Rexchip originally would allocate 50% of its capacity to manufacture mobile DRAM chips, but still has 70-80% produce PC- and server-use DRAM products at present, the sources observed.

　　In other news, industry observers believe that a seasonal slowdown in smartphone and tablet demand will a negative impact on DRAM prices in the fourth quarter of 2013. However, prices are unlikely to see a substantial fall due to supply constraints following a recent fire at a SK Hynix production facility in Wuxi, China, the observers indicated.

　　SK Hynix has disclosed that the fire-damaged cleanroom and air ventilation systems have been substantially restored, and reiterated the company's previous remark that it would fully recover normal output levels in November.