August 10, 2007 – Elpida Memory Inc. aims to ramp to mass production of 65nm DRAMs during the current fiscal year at its Hiroshima plant, and will “quickly move to introduce the technology” to its Rexchip JV with Taiwan’s Powerchip, according to the Nikkei daily.

The company says the 65nm versions offer 30% cost savings vs. prior 70nm versions, and 30% more DRAMs can be made on a single 300mm wafer. Capital spending to upgrade Elpida’s lines is also likely being kept down, the paper noted, since only some equipment will need to be upgraded.

Many DRAM makers have responded to months-long slumps in memory pricing by putting off planned capital investments, but No. 4 DRAM supplier Elpida actually reported a profit in the June quarter, and plans “to continue output at high levels and lift marketshare while remaining profitable,” the paper noted.