Samsung Electronics, the world leader in advanced memory technology, today announced that it has begun mass producing the highest-capacity mobile DRAM – the industry’s first 12-gigabyte (GB) low-power double data rate 4X (LPDDR4X) package – optimized for tomorrow’s premium smartphones. Featuring higher capacity than most ultra-thin notebooks, the new mobile DRAM will enable smartphone users to take full advantage of all the features in next-generation smartphones.

“With mass production of the new LPDDR4X, Samsung is now providing a comprehensive lineup of advanced memory to power the new era of smartphones, from 12GB mobile DRAM to 512GB eUFS 3.0 storage,” said Sewon Chun, executive vice president of Memory Marketing at Samsung Electronics. “Moreover, with the LPDDR4X, we’re strengthening our position as the premium mobile memory maker best positioned to accommodate rapidly growing demand from global smartphone manufacturers.”

Thanks to the 12GB mobile DRAM, smartphone makers can maximize the potential of devices that feature more than five cameras and ever-increasing display sizes as well as artificial intelligence and 5G capabilities. For smartphone users, the 12GB DRAM enables more fluid multitasking and faster searches as they navigate through a myriad of apps on ultra-large high-resolution screens. Also, the 1.1-millimeter thickness allows for even sleeker smartphone designs.

The 12GB capacity was achieved by combining six 16-gigabit (Gb) LPDDR4X chips based on the second-generation 10nm-class (1y-nm) process into a single package, providing more space for the smartphone battery. In addition, by using the company’s 1y-nm technology, the new 12GB mobile memory delivers a data transfer rate of 34.1GB per second while minimizing the increase in power consumption inevitably caused by a boost in DRAM capacity.

Since introducing 1GB mobile DRAM in 2011, Samsung continues to drive capacity breakthroughs in the mobile DRAM market, moving from 6GB (in 2015) and 8GB (2016) to today’s first 12GB LPDDR4X. From its cutting-edge memory line in Pyeongtaek, Korea, Samsung plans to more than triple the supply of its 1y-nm-based 8GB and 12GB mobile DRAM during the second half of 2019 to meet the anticipated high demand.

[Reference] Samsung Mobile DRAM Timeline: Production/Mass Prod.

As the graphics show below, semiconductor solutions are used in a wide array of automotive applications such as the camera and sensing system, dashboard, IVI (In-Vehicle Infotainment) system, ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistant System), autonomous driving central computing system and gateway. Semiconductors will be used even more extensively in the future, especially with the potential introduction of autonomous driving.

Samsung has been continuously cooperating with leading automobile manufacturers to make its semiconductor technologies available in the industry’s latest automobiles as well as next-generation cars. The company has participated in the Audi Progressive SemiConductor Program (PSCP) since 2015 with its advanced memory solutions and Exynos processors.

With its multiple operating system compatibility and support for multi-display, Samsung’s flagship Exynos processors enable powerful computing and graphics processing performance for today’s automobiles with highly graphical user interfaces. Along with its Exynos offerings, Samsung also plans to develop a wide array of logic IC solutions for upcoming automotive applications. Images sensors, working as the eyes of future vehicles, will have further improved frame rate and light sensitivity for thorough monitoring and sensing the driving environment.

When it comes to memory solutions, Samsung provides its high-performance, high-density LPDDR4 /LPDDR4X and GDDR6 DRAM lineups to address ever increasing demand for higher data bandwidth. For secure data storage, Samsung offers advanced eMMC and UFS solutions. All of these Samsung semiconductor solutions for automotive applications guarantee the highest performance levels among their kinds and are designed to endure tough environments inside the automobiles such as sudden temperature changes and continuous vibration.

Also offered by Samsung are LED components for interior and exterior lighting of automobiles such as cluster indicator lighting, headlamps and turn signal lamps. Based on upcoming technologies like pixel lighting, Samsung will be able to provide LED packages and modules that will enable more sophisticated and reliable lighting solutions.