IMT-2000 Beneficial for DRAM Industry

`The more upgrade mobile communication services are getting, the more happy are DRAM industries. `

70 percent of DRAMs, which semiconductor companies produce, are used for personal computers (PC). But recently, there is a new trend in memory chip market, which PC overwhelmed.

As demand for memory chip for cellular phone is increasing, some trillion won-scale DRAM market is being created. That is the reason DRAM, which once was a thorn in the flesh, is brought into relief as beneficial goods.

Semiconductor experts forecast that DRAM market will be overwhelmed by the demands for PC and mobile handset when international mobile telecommunication (IMT-2000) service is launched.

▽ IMT-2000 service, new hope of DRAM industry = remarkable function of IMT-2000 is that it is capable of sending and receiving motion pictures. To make videophone service possible, new handsets need some ten times more memories than existing goods.

Integrating rate of SRAM is 25 percent of that of DRAM, and DRAM is not proper for the next generation communication service due to rather slow processing. Recently, however, memory chip companies developed compound DRAM chip, and are supplying it to mobile phone handset companies.

Samsung, whose advanced technology in this field is known to the world, already made a contract with Nokia, and is supplying yearly 1 billion ordered DRAM chips.

Kim Il-Woong managing director of Samsung Electronics Marketing Team said, “when next generation communication service become common all through the world, demand for over 600 million handsets yearly will be created. Samsung Electronics is expecting epochal extension of sale in DRAM field as it is massively supplying goods tied-up with major handset company. ”

▽ Formation of two bigs of DRAMs for PC and Mobile phone = DRAM for mobile phone this year is likely to occupy 5 percent of total DRAM market.

Still behind the market of DRAM for PC, it will occupy over 20 percent of total DRAM market from 2005.

Kim Young-Joon responsible researcher of Kyobo Security said, “quite different from DRAM for PC, DRAM for mobile phone handset should meet the distinctive requirements in size and technology, which makes it possible to form various markets. DRAM for mobile phone handset will be the subject of semiconductor market. ”

Jeong-Hun Park sunshade@donga.com