Die shrink for seeking lower cost

Despite the small variations on the spot market, the price is still on a downward trend. Most DRAM makers are seeking any way they can to lower their cost so that they will be in a better position to lose less.

In addition to cost saving from improving efficiencies, production short cuts, lower costs of wafers, Taiwanese DRAM makers have already asked the testing and assembly/packaging companies to share the burden. The testing cost has been reduced to around US$0.5 per die either by reducing testing time or by elimination of some particularly inefficient processes. For the package, there is no way to omit any process but cutting the cost from current NT $8~9 to NT$6~7, will save about US$0.1 per chip.

Further more – every company is trying to shrink die size in order to lower cost by producing more chips per wafer. Here is a review of each company's current process status:

Micron: It already uses 0.15um on major 128Mb and plans to move into 0.13 at year 2002.

Samsung: Just migrated from 0.17um to 0.15um and currently adopting advances at the 0.12um level. Samsung claims that 10% of production will use an average 0.12um in Q4, 2001.

Hynix: It is moving from 0.18um to 0.16um and to 0.15um for 6 fabs.

NEC: Migrates from 0.18um to 0.15um. Will be adopting 0.13 processes in 2002.

Toshiba: Plans to migrate from 0.175um to 0.13 at the end of this year.

Hitachi: moves from 0.18um to 0.15um.

Infineon: It uses 0.16um right now and is going to test 0.13um.

Windond: Currently uses 0.17/0.165um, and plans to move into 0.13 by cooperating with Toshiba.

Promos: Will move from 0.17um to 0.14um at the end of this year.

Mosel: Will follow Promos.

Powerchip: Just announced success in its migration from 0.18um to 0.16um. And plans to move into 0.15um and then to 0.13um.

Nanya: Plans to migrate from 0.17um to 0.14um at 4Q of this year and 0.11um by year 2003.

Vangard: Plans to move from 0.17um to 0.15um.

The cost saving from die shrink varies widely from technology to technology and depends on yield rates, which take time to increase in order to reach maximum production.