As with process technologies used to make logic chips, DRAM ICs need the usage of EUV lithography as transistors get smaller. Nowadays, Samsung and SK hynix use EUV for a few layers, which is expensive. To make EUV considerably cheaper, DRAM makers will have to adopt three-dimensional transistors and new DRAM structures, said a researcher from SK hynix at an industry conference, reports The Elec.
DRAM makers constantly strive to make their memory cells as small as possible and make their ICs as small as likely to be more competitive. To do so, they usually adopt new process technologies and, once or so, adopt new DRAM cell structures (once a decade or so). Today's DRAMs use 6F^2 (6F2) cell design, for example, which has been using FinFET three-dimensional transistors for over a decade; DRAM has been using plain transistors mainly because each new process node introduced new ways to shrink DRAM cells, which was all memory makers needed.
