Micron Technology has seen manufacturing yield rates for its 1a (1-alpha) DRAM and 176-layer NAND process nodes reach mature levels.

"We believe we are several quarters ahead of the industry in deployment of these process technologies," according to company president and CEO Sanjay Mehrotra.

Mehrotra indicated 1a and 1z DRAM nodes combined now represent the majority of Micron's DRAM bit production, thanks to a strong ramp-up in its 1a process output. And by the end of the calendar year, Mehrotra continued, 176-layer NAND will make up the majority of our NAND bit production.

Looking beyond 1a DRAM and 176-layer NAND, Micron is investing to sustain scaling in both technologies for the next decade, said Mehrotra.

Mehrotra disclosed that the company recently took delivery of ASML's NXE: 3600D, the industry's latest EUV system, at its Boise fab. "The delivery of this tool is an important milestone toward our previously disclosed plan of implementing EUV in high-volume manufacturing in the 2024 time frame," Mehrotra noted.

Micron expects its DRAM and NAND flash bit shipments in the first quarter of its fiscal 2022 to decline modestly from "very strong" levels in the prior fiscal fourth-quarter 2021. "Some PC customers are adjusting their memory and storage purchases due to shortages of non-memory components that are needed to complete PC builds," said Mehrotra. "We are also seeing constraints within our supply chain for certain IC components, which will somewhat limit our bit shipments in the near term."

Nevertheless, Micron expects its bit shipment growth to resume in the second half of the fiscal year, and deliver record revenue with solid profitability in fiscal 2022.

"In fiscal 2021, we established DRAM and NAND technology leadership, drove record revenues across multiple markets, and initiated a quarterly dividend," Mehrotra said. "The demand outlook for 2022 is strong, and Micron is delivering innovative solutions to our customers, fueling our long-term growth."

Micron expects DRAM bit demand to grow in the "mid-to-high teens" in 2022, while NAND flash bit demand growth will reach roughly 30%. "Industry trends like the broad integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into all computing, proliferation of the intelligent edge, continued data center growth, and deployments of 5G networks create new and expanding opportunities for Micron," Mehrotra said.

By: DocMemory
Copyright © 2023 CST, Inc. All Rights Reserved