SK Hynix plans to start mass production of 10-nano-range DRAMs in 2017, following Samsung Electronics.

At the same time when it is finished with development of 1x DRAM, it is going to start developing 1y DRAM and also build up its competitive edge for the future by establishing a development team for 1z DRAM.

SK Hynix has already manufactured a prototype of wafer and is going through a final tests for credibility of its new product. The company plans to start mass-producing 1x DRAMs in second quarter of next year.

It is believed that the technical gap between Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix is about 1 year and a half year. However if SK Hynix start mass-producing 1x DRAMs in the second quarter of next year, this gap will be narrowed to about 1 year. Samsung started mass-producing 1x DRAMs in first quarter of this year.

SK Hynix is planning to further narrow this gap by increasing the speed of development of 1y and 1z DRAM.

It is heard that Micron Technology has not even started mass-producing 2z DRAM yet.