Samsung to make over half of its DRAM on 20nm this year

Industry sources revealed to DigiTimes that the 20nm node is expected to account for over 50 percent of Samsung's overall DRAM output in 2015. Samsung adopted 20nm for mass production of DRAM in 2014, whereas SK Hynix and Micron are still gearing up for the transition to 20nm.

The transition is expected to lower prices of memory made on 25/28nm process technologies, which will negatively impact the profitability of Micron and Taiwanese DRAM makers:

In addition, prices for DRAM memory built using 25nm and 28nm process technologies are likely to fall significantly in 2015 when the global output of 20nm DRAM chips expands, the sources indicated.

Memory price tracker DRAMeXchange also commented that for companies which adopt 25nm or 28nm for the majority of their DRAM output, their profitability for 2015 could be affected due to falling prices for 25nm and 28nm chips.

For example, profits at Micron and Taiwan-based DRAM chipmakers might be negatively impacted by falling chip prices in 2015, as 28nm is still Micron's major production node for DRAM products, and Taiwan-based DRAM makers mainly use 30nm and 40nm processes to manufacture their products, DRAMeXchange said.