How RAM is Made: Inside the Microscopic Mega Engineering

We are all fairly familiar with the word RAM. Be it a computer, smartphone, or tablet, no device can run without RAM. But do you know what is actually inside this small chip or how it is made, how complex this process is?

Today we will see a microscopic mega engineering, where we will show how this RAM is made. So let's start.

What is RAM?

First of all, RAM means Random Access Memory. It is a type of memory where the computer works by temporarily storing data. The data stored in RAM can be read or written very quickly. And any part can be accessed directly.

That is why it is called Random Access. It means direct access to any place.

Inside a RAM Chip

In very simple terms, there are billions of memory cells inside a RAM chip.

When you hold a RAM stick in your hand, the green board you see doesn’t directly store data. The actual data is stored in the memory chips, called DRAM chips.

  • A typical RAM stick can have 4, 8, or 16 DRAM chips, depending on capacity and size.
  • The small chip you see on the stick is called the SPD chip (Serial Presence Detect). It tells the BIOS or OS about the speed, timing, and voltage of the RAM.
  • There may also be a temperature sensor and a clock driver.
  • At the bottom, there are gold-plated contacts (pins) — this is how RAM connects to the motherboard.
  • The notch in the middle ensures you place the RAM in the correct slot. DDR3, DDR4, and DDR5 all have notches, but in different places to prevent mismatched installation.

All of this is placed on a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) — together making the RAM stick we use.

Who Makes RAM Chips?

The main component of RAM is the DRAM chip.

There are only a few manufacturers in the world who produce DRAM chips:

  • Samsung Electronics (South Korea)
  • SK Hynix (South Korea)
  • Micron Technology (USA)

Brands like Corsair, G.Skill, Kingston, Crucial, Team Group, etc. buy memory chips from these manufacturers and assemble RAM sticks.

The Raw Material: Silicon from Sand

Whether it is RAM, CPU, SSD, NAND flash, or GPU, the basis of everything is semiconductor silicon — and that comes from sand.

  • Pure silicon is extracted from sand.
  • Silicon is used because it is a semiconductor whose conducting properties can be controlled by a process called doping.
  • The purified silicon is melted at high temperature to make a silicon ingot.
  • The ingot is sliced into thin wafers (200mm – 300mm diameter).

Fabrication: Building the DRAM Chip

On these silicon wafers, cell patterns are created using photolithography.

  • Patterns are projected with ultraviolet light through a mask (stencil).
  • Layers are added using etching, ion implantation, doping, and oxidation.
  • It takes 50 to 70 fabrication steps to make a single RAM chip.

The main storage element is the capacitor:

  • If the capacitor holds a charge → it’s a “1”
  • If it has no charge → it’s a “0”

The transistor acts as a gate: it controls read/write access to the capacitor.

Thus, a memory cell = 1 transistor + 1 capacitor (1T1C). Billions of such cells form a DRAM chip.

The more memory cells a chip has, the larger the RAM size: 8GB, 16GB, 32GB, etc.

Example: A 16GB DDR5 6000MHz RAM stick may have 8 memory chips, each 2GB in size, totaling 16GB.

Packaging and Testing

Once the DRAM dies are fabricated on the silicon wafer:

  1. The wafer is cut into dies.
  2. Each die is tested — defective dies are discarded.
  3. Good dies are packaged into epoxy shells.
  4. Die pads are connected to external pins with gold or copper wires.

Finally, these chips are assembled onto the RAM PCB to make the RAM stick we use in PCs and laptops.

Conclusion

So that’s how RAM is made — from sand to silicon, through hundreds of steps of fabrication, into the DRAM chips that power our devices.

In the next part, we will discuss how to identify an ideal RAM.

I am ending today’s blog here. If you liked the content, don’t forget to share it. And if you have any queries, make sure to comment.