Global Memory Chip Market - 2023-2030

Overview

Global Memory Chip Market reached US$ 178.5 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach US$ 455.9 billion by 2030, growing with a CAGR of 12.5% during the forecast period 2023-2030.

The memory chip market is experiencing significant growth due to the rising demand for memory and storage devices in next-generation connected cars and automotive safety systems. The systems rely on semiconductor memory for digital data storage, making semiconductor memory an integral part of devices with processors or controllers.

Moreover, the increasing construction of data centers globally and the storage requirements of various enterprises are boosting the demand for semiconductor-based memory devices. Colocation and hyperscale data centers, especially in developed nations, are driving the need for semiconductor memory to manage and store vast amounts of corporate data.

Asia-Pacific holds the largest share in the memory chip market due to its robust consumer electronics industry and a focus on high-end electronic devices. The region's efforts to ensure 5G mobile phone shipments dominate the domestic market by 2024 and the stable growth of major computer, communications and electronic device manufacturers contribute to its market leadership. Also, China's emphasis on exporting consumer electronic devices and expanding cross-border e-commerce businesses further solidifies its position in the memory chip market.

Dynamics

Memory Chip Advancements

The memory chip market is expected to driven with the growing advancement and also the development of smaller, more efficient and higher-capacity memory chips. Miniaturization and innovative manufacturing techniques allow for the production of memory chips with increased storage capacity and enhanced performance. The smaller chips find applications in various devices, from smartphones to data centers, contributing to the market's growth. Also, advancements like 3D stacking and emerging non-volatile memory technologies are further shaping the memory chip landscape

SK hynix, for instance, developed PIM, a next-generation memory chip with computing capabilities that challenge traditional roles of memory and processors. The development paves the way for memory-centric computing, where semiconductor memory plays a central role. SK hynix's GDDR6-AiM adds computational functions to GDDR6 memory chips and accelerates data processing speeds by 16 times when it combined with a CPU or GPU, making it suitable for machine learning, high-performance computing and big data tasks.

Growth of Automotive Industry and Emerging Technologies

The globally growth of the memory chip market is driven by emerging technologies and increasing demand for memory-intensive applications. The automotive industry, in particular, is undergoing significant transformation due to advanced memory chip technologies. Non-volatile memory chips, ensuring data integrity during power failures and enhancing vehicle performance, have become pivotal. High-density memory chips are enabling connected and autonomous vehicles to efficiently manage large volumes of data despite physical space constraints.

Samsung Electronics, the world's largest memory chipmaker, has announced its plans to develop a next-generation 5-nanometer-processed automotive memory chip, called eMRAM, by 2027. The eMRAM technology is vital for automotive applications, operating stably even at high temperatures with fast read and write speeds. Samsung is actively working on a 14 nm eMRAM and aims to unveil it by 2024.

Dwindling Customer Orders and Excessive Supply

The memory chip market faces formidable restraints characterized by an excessive supply of chips stockpiled in warehouses, dwindling customer orders and a substantial drop in product prices. The challenges have rendered this period one of the most demanding in the history of the memory chip industry.

Furthermore, the market contends with external economic pressures, including inflation and rising interest rates, leading consumers and businesses to defer substantial investments in memory-intensive devices such as computers and smartphones. Consequently, major memory chip manufacturers have suffered significant financial losses, exacerbating the issue of surplus inventory and highlighting a conspicuous dearth of demand in the market. The combined factors create a complex and challenging landscape for the memory chip industry, impacting its overall stability and profitability.

Segment Analysis

The global memory chip market is segmented based on type, application and region.

DRAM Dominates the Memory Chip Market Amid Technological Advancements

Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) holds the largest share in the memory chip market due to its indispensable role in modern computing. DRAM provides fast, volatile storage vital for various applications. As technology advances and demands for higher performance and memory density increase, DRAM manufacturers face challenges in scaling down to and beyond the 10 nm process. The primary issue is reducing cell capacitance without compromising data retention or memory density.

Manufacturers employ advanced materials, including high-k dielectrics, to enhance individual cell capacitance. Three-dimensional (3D) integration is a critical development, as it involves vertically stacking multiple layers of memory cells, bypassing lateral scaling limitations. Advanced lithography techniques such as extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography enable finer dimensions, enhancing DRAM cell performance.

Major players in the DRAM industry, like Samsung, are driving innovation. Samsung introduced a 16 GB, 12 nm DDR5 DRAM featuring refined circuitry, optimized cell structures and reduced power consumption while increasing wafer productivity. Samsung also unveiled the industry's first Compute Express Link (CXL) DRAM, aiming to bridge memory and high-performance computing. Other manufacturers, such as Micron, are embracing EUV lithography to advance their DRAM portfolios.

Micron is planning to introduce EUV lithography in Japan for its next-generation DRAM, the 1-gamma (1γ) node, to achieve faster, more power-efficient and higher-performance memory products. Meanwhile, startups like NEO Semiconductor are making strides with innovative approaches like 3D X-DRAM, which leverages 3D integration to overcome conventional DRAM limitations.

Geographical Penetration

Asia-Pacific Leads the Memory Chip Market, Fueled by Electronics Manufacturing Hubs

Asia-Pacific commands the largest share in the memory chip market due to its prominent electronics manufacturing hubs, including China, South Korea and Taiwan. The countries are major producers of smartphones, computers and various electronic devices which is simultaneously driving significant demand for memory chips in the region.

According to Invest India, India is rapidly emerging as a global electronics manufacturing hub with the industry projected to reach US$ 300 billion by 2025 and 2026. The growth is driven by government initiatives promoting domestic electronics manufacturing, such as the Production Linked Incentive scheme. India's domestic demand for consumer electronics is on the surge and the country have become home to the world's second-largest smartphone market.

Competitive Landscape

The major global players in the market include: Samsung Electronics, SK hynix, Micron Technology, Kioxia, Western Digital, HP Inc., Qualcomm, Broadcom, Texas Instruments, Renesas Electronics.

COVID-19 Impact Analysis

COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the memory chip market. Initially, the market experienced disruptions in the supply chain, particularly from Asia, which is a major hub for semiconductor manufacturing. Lockdowns and restrictions led to factory closures and labor shortages, affecting production.

Amidst a surge in remote work and increased online activities, the demand for memory-intensive devices such as laptops, tablets and smartphones witnessed a notable upswing. The resulted in a temporary spike in demand; however, manufacturers faced challenges in meeting this heightened need due to disruptions in the supply chain. As the pandemic persisted, economic uncertainties and a decrease in consumer spending exerted a detrimental influence on the market. Numerous industries and consumers opted to defer or reduce their purchases of electronic devices, subsequently affecting the stability and profitability of the memory chip market.

Russia-Ukraine War Impact

The Russia-Ukraine war had a significant impact on the memory chip market due to the interconnectedness of global supply chains and geopolitical tensions. Ukraine is a major producer of neon gas, a critical component used in the manufacturing of memory chips. The conflict disrupted the supply of neon gas, leading to shortages and price increases in the semiconductor industry.

Furthermore, the war caused uncertainty in global markets, leading to fluctuations in currency exchange rates and increased production costs for memory chip manufacturers. The, in turn, affected pricing and profit margins in the memory chip market.

By Type

• Volatile
  • DRAM
  • SRAM
• Nonvolatile
  • PROM
  • EEPROM
  • NAND Flash
  • Others

By Application

• Laptop/PC
• Camera
• Smartphone
• Others

By Region

• North America
  • U.S.
  • Canada
  • Mexico
• Europe
  • Germany
  • UK
  • France
  • Italy
  • Russia
  • Rest of Europe
• South America
  • Brazil
  • Argentina
  • Rest of South America
• Asia-Pacific
  • China
  • India
  • Japan
  • Australia
  • Rest of Asia-Pacific
• Middle East and Africa

Key Developments

• In July 2023, China's leading memory chip producer, Yangtze Memory Technologies Co (YMTC), has developed the "world's most advanced" 3D NAND memory chip found in a consumer device. Despite facing sanctions and being placed on US Commerce Department's Entity List, YMTC introduced this groundbreaking memory chip in a solid-state drive quietly launched.
• In October 2023, Apple unveiled a trio of groundbreaking chips for personal computers: M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max. The chips are the industry's first to utilize 3-nanometer process technology, enabling more transistors to be packed into a smaller space, leading to significant speed and efficiency improvements. The M3 family introduces a next-generation GPU that boasts remarkable advancements in graphics architecture. It features Dynamic Caching, hardware-accelerated ray tracing and mesh shading, resulting in rendering speeds up to 2.5 times faster than the previous M1 chips.
• On July 20, 2023, Samsung announced the completion of its GDDR7 memory development, which is slated to be featured in the next-generation high-end graphics cards. The first-generation GDDR7 memory chip boasts an impressive 16 GB capacity, providing a substantial 1.5 TB/s of bandwidth, making it 40% faster than the current high-speed GDDR6 memory with a peak bandwidth of 1.1 TB/s.

Why Purchase the Report?

• To visualize the global memory chip market segmentation based on type, application and region, as well as understand key commercial assets and players.
• Identify commercial opportunities by analyzing trends and co-development.
• Excel data sheet with numerous data points of memory chip market-level with all segments.
• PDF report consists of a comprehensive analysis after exhaustive qualitative interviews and an in-depth study.
• Product mapping available as excel consisting of key products of all the major players.

The global memory chip market report would provide approximately 53 tables, 47 figures and 192 Pages.

Target Audience 2023

• Manufacturers/ Buyers
• Industry Investors/Investment Bankers
• Research Professionals
• Emerging Companies