Memory Manufacturers and DDR SDRAM

by Anna Filatova
02/12/2001 | 05:57 PM

Since the situation with DDR SDRAM is now quite uncertain, we thought it would be interesting to find out the opinions and forecasts of the leading memory manufacturers. Here is what we managed to collect:

• Hyundai. This manufacturer is one of the "most optimistic" about DDR SDRAM. They believe that the year 2001 is a DDR age and plan to dramatically add to their DDR production, which may thus account for over 20% of Hyundai’s overall DRAM production, reaching 627 million units.
• Micron. This is the second great supporter of DDR SDRAM. They also plan to increase the production of DDR memory chips. Last year the company started shipping 64Mbit DDR SDRAM chips in mass, however, the mass shipments of 128Mbit chips haven’t yet been started.
• Infineon. This company considers DDR SDRAM to feature great potential for becoming the major memory type. However, now the company is experiencing really low demand for this memory chips that’s why the DDR production makes only 5% of the Infineon’s entire volumes.
• Samsung. The company is also going to increase the DDR production. Moreover, together with the increase in DDR manufacturing Samsung plans to add to their RDRAM production. In fact, this company seems to have the strongest and most respected position in the today’s memory market, because they managed to maintain the production of all memory types on the adequate level, which is not that easy, actually. We can’t forecast the percentages of each memory type by the end of the year, but we never doubt that Samsung will have its benefits.
• Elpida. This company reports that DDR SDRAM is selling very well in Japan, however, in other regions the sales volumes leave much to be desired. They are now quite conservative about DDR production and are throwing into the market some hundreds thousands of memory chips monthly.

• Nanya Technology. They are already shipping 128Mbit DDR SDRAM chips.
• Mosel Vitelic. They have already launched the test party and are going to start mass manufacturing of DDR memory in Q2 2001.
• Winbond and Powerchip Semiconductor (PSC). They prefer to take their time and to see what happens. Nevertheless, they report to be ready to ship the first quantities of DDR chips in April and to start mass production in Q3 2001.