Samsung develops superfast mobile DRAM

Samsung has developed a mobile DRAM module which it claims can transfer data four times faster than existing technology using less power.

The 1Gbit DRAM has a wide interface designed for smartphones and tablets, and allows transfer speeds of 12.8GB/s. This increases the bandwidth of mobile DDR DRAM eightfold, and uses 87 per cent less power, Samsung said.

A total of 512 pins are used for data transfer compared to the previous maximum of 32. Samsung claimed that the new interface can support a maximum of 1,200 pins.

The breakthrough represents a significant contribution to the advancement of high-performance mobile products, according to Byungse So, senior vice president of memory product planning and application engineering at Samsung.

"We will continue to aggressively expand our high-performance mobile memory product line to further propel the growth of the mobile industry," he said.

Samsung also aims to provide 20nm-class 4Gbit wide interface mobile DRAM in 2013 as the manufacturer looks to build on its 40 per cent market share.

DRAM shipments are predicted to grow by more than 800 per cent this year, thanks largely to the demand for smartphones and tablets, according to iSuppli.

Sales are projected to reach 353.3 million gigabits this year, rising to one billion in 2012 and 2.2 billion in 2013, and topping out at 3.5 billion in 2014.