Contract quotes for DDR2 chips have declined 2-5% for the second half of February, pushing the price of 2GB DDR2 modules to US$38-41, according to DRAMeXchange. Meanwhile, prices for DDR3 parts increased by 3-5% for the same period driving 2GB DDR3 modules to US$41.5-44.
In the spot market, the decline in 1Gb DDR2 chip prices that started in mid-January has stabilized, DRAMeXchange data show.
Average prices for branded and effectively tested (eTT) 1Gb DDR2 chips rose 1.29% and 1.02% to close at US$2.34 and US$2.17, respectively, on February 10. Despite the one-day growth, the pricing for both branded and unbranded segments shows declines compared to over US$2.50 and US$2.30, respectively, about a month ago.
In addition, major Taiwan-based DRAM producers have stepped up their efforts migrating to more advanced processes for DDR3 memory, which is expected to soon succeed DDR2 as the dominant DRAM technology. However, industry sources have suggested that current DDR2 output is still high.
The sources have indicated that delivery lead times for the production of immersion scanners have extended, interrupting some Taiwan-based DRAM producers' migration schedules.
Many research firms have predicted that in terms of gigabit-equivalent shipments, DDR3's share of the DRAM market would exceed 50% by the first half of this year.