First 1-gigabit, 44-nano DRAM chip made

SEOUL, Feb. 8 (UPI) -- Hynix Semiconductor has developed the world's first 1-gigabit dynamic random access memory chip, the company announced Sunday.

The South Korean company said mass production of the 1-gigabit DDR3 DRAM chip, which uses 44-nanometer technology, will begin in the third quarter of this year, Yonhap News Agency reported.

The new chip is expected to be 50 percent more productive than the previous standard 54-nanometer technology, the company said.

DDR3 DRAM is a random access memory technology used for, among other applications, high bandwidth. Analysts say the DDR3 DRAM market will become the dominant chip market in the second half of 2009.

The development of even smaller chips is on the way.The news service reported Samsung Electronics Co. announced last week it has developed the world's first 40-nanometer DRAM chip.