June 28, 2024 –In a significant development, Micron Technology, a leading semiconductor manufacturer, has announced its plans to adopt Extreme Ultra-Violet (EUV) lithography for the production of its 1γ DRAM, marking a shift from its previous reliance on Deep Ultra-Violet (DUV) technology. While other semiconductor giants have been quick to embrace EUV, Micron had been cautious in its approach, focusing on perfecting its DUV-based processes.
This strategic move comes as the company begins trial production of its 1γ DRAM process using EUV technology, with plans to enter High-Volume Manufacturing (HVM) phase in 2024. The announcement was made by Micron’s CEO, Sanjay Mehrotra, during a recent conference call, where he stated, “The trial production of 1γ DRAM using Extreme Ultra-Violet lithography is progressing smoothly, and we are on track to achieve mass production in 2025.”
Currently, the development of this EUV-based 1γ DRAM manufacturing process is underway at Micron’s facility in Hiroshima, Japan, which will also serve as the trial production site for the first batch of 1γ memories. Mehrotra further elaborated in March, “We are continuously improving our production capabilities using EUV technology and have achieved equivalent yields and quality between EUV and non-EUV processes at the 1α and 1β nodes. We have already commenced EUV-based trial production for 1γ DRAM and aim to enter mass production in 2025.”
Beyond the adoption of EUV for its 1γ and 1δ production processes, Micron also intends to explore 3D DRAM architectures and high numerical aperture EUV technology for DRAM production in the coming years.
The company’s recent financial results reflect the positive impact of its strategic decisions. On June 26th, Micron released its third-quarter fiscal year results, reporting a revenue of 6.81billion,anincreaseof81.66.67 billion. This significant growth was attributed to the soaring demand for storage solutions, driven by the continued rapid development in the AI sector, which further bolstered Micron’s data center revenue.
Looking ahead to the fourth fiscal quarter ending in August, Micron forecasts a revenue range of 7.4billionto7.8 billion, with the midpoint of the range aligning with analysts’ predictions of $7.58 billion.
In conclusion, Micron’s decision to embrace EUV lithography marks a significant milestone in its journey to stay at the forefront of semiconductor manufacturing. This move is expected to enhance the company’s competitiveness and position it favorably to meet the evolving demands of the dynamic technology landscape.
