Spot market quotes for 2Gb DDR3 and 1Gb DDR3 chips have continually dropped to US$2.50 and US$1.30-1.40 respectively due to increasing global supply, and are expected to keep falling to US$2 and US$1 respectively around the end of 2010 or in early 2011, according to DRAM industry sources in Taiwan.
The global DRAM industry is currently in a situation that makers using 63nm process are suffering losses from production of 2Gb DDR3, those using 50nm are able to break even and those using 30-40nm can profit, the sources pointed out.
Taiwan-based DRAM makers are likely to see more or less operating losses in the fourth quarter of 2010 except Rexchip Electronics which has been replacing existing processes with 45nm process transferred from Elpida Memory at increasing yield rates, the sources indicated.
| Global DRAM industry: Current processes and production costs |
| Level of technology for processes in use | Company | Product | Unit production (US$) |
| 60nm | Elpida, Powerchip Technology, Rexchip, ProMOS Technologies | 1Gb DDR3 | 1.3-1.4 |
| 50nm | Micron Technology, Nanya Technology, Inotera Memories | 2Gb DDR3 | about 2.5 |
| 40nm | Samsung Electronics, Hynix Semiconductor, Elpida, Rexchip | 2Gb DDR3 | below 1.5 |
Source: Industry sources, compiled by Digitimes, November 2010