Global supply of DRAM is forecast to reach 3.23 billion 1Gb-equivalent chips in 2011, up 58.8% from 2.04 billion units in 2010. Major producers' output growth through process upgrades will contribute greatly to the rise.
Samsung Electronics will likely see its bit shipments climb 64% in 2011. The industry leader has moved its 36nm process to volume production since the fourth quarter of 2010, ahead of its DRAM competitors.
With a 67% bit shipment growth projected, Elpida Memory will also outpace the industry average in 2011. The vendor's supply growth will be mainly contributed by subsidary Rexchip Electronics' ramp-up of 40nm node technology.
Also buoyed by output growth using more advanced technologies, Hynix Semiconductor and Micron Technology will manage growth of 51% and 41%, respectively, in Gb shipments in 2011.
With more players scaling up their output on 4Xnm, the 40nm-class node technology is expected to account for 65.2% of global DRAM supply in the fourth quarter of 2011 compared to the 39.1% reached in the same quarter of 2010, adding 50nm and above processes will be phased out.