· Expected to sell $200 million annually
HEI (President: Young-Hwan Kim) is going to produce the highest-speed 16M Synchronous DRAM (SDRAM, hereafter) for graphic use.
16M SDRAM (×16), used for graphics in PCs and multimedia equipment, is the fastest SDRAM with a 200 MHz operating speed and is a highly profitable product, costing twice as much as the normal 16M SDRAM used for PC RAM.
HEI has proven its advanced technology in the high-speed DRAM industry by developing a 16M SDRAM for graphic use with a 200 MHz operating speed for the first time in the industry.
HEI plans to achieve annual sales of more than $200 million in high-speed 16M SDRAM for graphic use by supplying 3–5 million units per month of both the 183 MHz version, which has been produced since April, and the 200 MHz version, which is expected to enter production this month.
In addition, starting from the second half of this year, HEI plans to achieve annual sales of $100 million in the next-generation memory for graphic use, 64M SDRAMs (×32), by producing one million units per month.
HEI is expected to reach total annual sales of more than $300 million in the high-speed SDRAM for graphic use market.
In particular, 16M SDRAM and 64M SDRAM are priced at $3–4 and $12–14, respectively, more than twice the price of normal SDRAMs.
A short supply is expected for some time due to a surge in orders from world-renowned graphics companies such as U.S.-based Diamond.
As a result, HEI expects the profitability of its semiconductor business to improve significantly through the mass production of high-speed SDRAM for graphic use.
