Elpida has conducted pilot production of 40nm 2Gb DDR3 chips using 6F2 process technology.

According to Digitimes the production was made at its Hiroshima fab, and has raised yield rates high enough for volume production available in 2010. The outfit currently uses 65nm XS but wants to migrate half of its 12-inch capacity of 130,000 wafers to 40nm process by the end of 2010.

Elpida's subsidiary, Rexchip Electronics wants to covert all of its 12-inch chip production to Elpida's 40nm-class node around year-end 2010. However if there is no demand out there it will only shift half of its production to the new generation process.

Rexchip and Elpida are planning to develop 40nm with 4F2 process technology after building a new R&D centre early next year.