Elpida announced having completed the development of DDR3 chips etched to a fine of 40 nanometers. The chipmaker joins Japanese Korean Samsung mass producing such chips since midsummer. The new DRAM Elpida have signed similar to that of Samsung, its DDR3 chips with a capacity of 2 Gb (256 MB) for a throughput of 1.6 Gb / s.

Small difference, the Japanese could make its DRAM operation to only 1.2 volts, well below the standard 1.5 volt DDR3 and even its low-power variation (DDR3L) to 1.35 volts. Elpida announces a 44% return over its chips etched 50 nm. This will reduce slightly over the cost of DDR3 is now the same as DDR2.The founder nippon should begin mass production of its new generation of DRAM by the end of the year.

Elpida know it’s a great success last time, with sales up strongly (+50%). The reason for this success, the high-end chips of depth (called Hyper RAM) sell very well and very expensive. However, the Japanese may experience a period of troubled waters in the coming weeks.

Indeed, Elpida benefits for some time to support the governments of Japan and Taiwan, which is not the taste of U.S. Micron. The latter has filed a formal complaint with U.S. trade representatives, and they could complain to the WTO (World Trade Organization). Micron is currently the fourth largest vendor of DRAM, behind the Korean Samsung and Hynix and Elpida. The U.S. firm is only a few points of third place in the Japanese, he obviously covets. Overall the market returns to form with a 2010 that could reduce the level of 2006 or 2007.