By Han Joo-yeob
powerusr@ddaily.co.kr

Samsung Electronics has aggressively increased its DRAM supply, while SK Hynix and Micron fell below average market growth.

According to market research firm IHS iSuppli, the global DRAM industry had revenues of ,148 million during the second quarter of this year, up 10.9 percent over the previous quarter (,050 million) and up 27.9 percent over the same period last year. By supplier, Samsung Electronics recorded the highest growth, much higher than the global average. SK Hynix and Micron, on the other hand, fell short of the industry average, which indicates that Samsung alone has spearheaded the growth.

Samsung Electronics had DRAM revenues of ,392 million in Q2, 17.5 percent up over the previous quarter (,738 million) and 53.1 percent up from the same period in 2013. Q2 revenue of SK Hynix was ,001 million, 7.2 percent QoQ increase from ,797 million and 17.1 percent YoY increase from ,561 million. Micron (including Elpida) had revenues of ,880 million, 6.5 percent up over Q1 (,703 million) and 17.1 percent up over 2013 Q2 (,458 million).

The conspicuous growth of Samsung Electronics’ revenue is attributed to new strategy. The company has speeded up the transition of its 36·32 (3x)-nm DRAM process to one for 20nm DRAM chips. While it has made its existing 25 (2x)-nm process concentrating on mobile DRAM chips, the company aggressively increased shipment of universal DRAM chips through its new 20 (2y)-nm process. The percentage of 2y-nm DRAM production, which remained at 10 percent in Q1, increased to 30 percent in Q2. IHS iSuppi expected the proportion of 2x-nm and 2y-nm production to reach 55 percent and 45 percent at the end of this year, respectively.

SK Hynix also started mass production of 2y-nm DRAM chips in Q2. The proportion of 2y-nm DRAM chips during Q2 was a mere 7 percent but the company is expected to increase it to 40 percent at the end of this year, the same level of its rival Samsung. Micron is the slowest in transition among the three major DRAM supplies. IHS iSuppli forecast that the company will begin mass production of 2y-nm DRAM in full scale in Q4.

An industry source said, “Samsung Electronics has aggressively expanded DRAM supply through a rapid transition and moreover, will put its new Line-17 fab into operation next year. Concerns are spreading in the market over an oversupply caused by Samsung in 2016.” The stock market earlier predicted that Samsung would manufacture 30,000-40,000 wafer but the company reportedly plans to produce 50,000-60,000 chips there, which is about 50 percent more than the forecast.

Despite the mounting worries, Samsung said it has no plan to drastically increase DRAM supply. Kim Kinam, president of the Semiconductor Business and head of the System LSI Business of Samsung Electronics’ Device Solutions Division, said, “If there is any oversupply (of memory chips), we will try to stabilize market prices by controlling the ramp-up (production increase) speed.” But industry experts generally agree that the promise on “market stabilization” may change after next year. This means that Samsung Electronics has already geared up its memory business.