Both companies are betting that RDRAM demand will increase with the introduction of high-performance PCs and game players.

Samsung said it will increase production from the current 2 million units per month to 10 million units/month by the second half of the year. The increase will be supported by an expansion of existing plants and planned new facilities. Samsung will focus production on 288-Mbit Rambus DRAMs, which have greater capacity than current-generation memory products. The company expects that its increased production of higher-capacity memory devices could give it a leg up over competitors.

If RDRAM demand does increase, Hyundai said, it will also expand production. The company is already expanding RDRAM production lines at its plant in Chungju, South Korea, and is preparing to produce as many as 5 million units/month there.

Expanding RDRAM production at Chungju and at its Inchon plants would allow Hyundai some flexibility to adjust RDRAM production according to market requirements, the company said.

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