Samsung Electronics Co Ltd is to advance the mass production of next-generation 128MB and 256MB DRAM chips which were originally scheduled to start coming off the production lines next year. The recent rapid decline in 64MB DRAM prices has spurred the world market leader to quickly develop its facilities for fabricating the larger chips while concurrently cutting back 64MB production. According to a report in the Korea Times, commercial production of 256MB DRAMs will start in July or August this year, with the chipmaker having now decided to dedicate its new ninth production line solely to 256MB chips.
The report said that Samsung’s main competitors, Micron Technologies of the US, Japan’s NEC and local rival Hyundai Electronics are also looking at going into mass production of the new generation chips earlier than scheduled, but are believed to be constrained by the late installation of new production facilities which could put them up to a year behind Samsung.
