Seoul, Korea, April 25, 2001
hynix Semiconductor Inc. today announced that it has commenced volume production of its latest DRAM device, the 4 Meg x 16 double data rate (DDR) synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), solidifying the company’s DDR technology lead and extending its presence in the fast-growing graphics market. Following closely on the heels of the company’s 0.22-micron, 166 MHz and 183 MHz 2 Meg x 32 DDR devices announced last August, the new DDR device is targeted to meet the needs of graphics and consumer applications. Commenting on the new DRAM device and hynix’s commitment to supporting DDR technology, Farhad Tabrizi, vice president of worldwide memory marketing at hynix Semiconductor Inc., said, “With graphics representing about 20 percent of our overall DRAM business, we will continue to place a high priority on this area, as well as other point-to-point applications. Placing greater emphasis on these burgeoning markets has allowed us to significantly broaden our DRAM customer base and has proven to be a profitable strategy for hynix.” Manufactured on hynix’s cost-effective 0.18-micron process technology, the new 64 Meg device features a 2.5-volt power supply, and is ideally suited for high-performance graphics applications. Operating at 200, 233, 250, and 275 MHz, the device lays the groundwork for a direct migration path to the 8 Meg x 16 DDR SDRAM device, which the company will offer in the same thin small outline package (TSOP) II as the 4 Meg x 16 device. The new 4 Meg x 16 DDR SDRAM is available in sample quantities at a price of $10.00. Pricing in volume quantities is $5.00 hynix’s broad portfolio of quality DRAM products offers the bandwidth and granularity features that allow customers to meet stringent time-to-market demands. Having sustained a series of major DDR design wins with top-tier vendors in both graphics and PC market segments, the company is aggressively pursuing other DDR applications in main memory for PC workstations, desktops and servers, and expects to introduce a DDR product every six months. In high-end network designs, the new 4 Meg x 16 DDR SDRAM is scheduled to be used in next-generation WAN and LAN Internet routers and switches, moving from OC48 to OC192. The number of ports in these designs is doubling, thus increasing bandwidth and DRAM megabyte requirements. Consequently, x16 and x32 DDR SDRAMs at 200 MHz and 250 MHz are becoming the memory of choice for cache and packet storage, while network main memory is utilizing 166 MHz DDR in dual in-line memory modules (DIMMs). About hynix Semiconductor Inc. hynix Semiconductor Inc. (HSI) of Ichon, Korea, is an industry leader in the development, sales, marketing and distribution of high-quality semiconductors (including DRAM, SRAM, Flash memory and system IC devices), telecommunications and liquid crystal displays. The Semiconductor Group of hynix Semiconductor is the world’s largest DRAM supplier with 11 semiconductor-manufacturing facilities worldwide, and production capacity of over 300,000 wafer starts per month. In addition, hynix is expanding its system IC business unit with leading technology and added deep-submicron foundry services to strategically broaden its overall semiconductor presence and achieve its goal of leading the global semiconductor market. Based in Korea, hynix maintains development, manufacturing, sales and marketing facilities strategically located worldwide