Hynix Semiconductor Inc., the world’s No. 2 maker of computer memory chips, said Wednesday that it has developed a new memory chip based on 30-nanometer technology, a milestone likely to help the company weather the downturn in the global semiconductor market.

Hynix developed the world’s first 4-gigabit DDR3 dynamic random access memory using the 30-nanometer technology, the company said in a statement.

The new device targets high-end markets for servers and personal computers by providing a faster speed and about a 70 percent increase in productivity from models using 40-nanometer technology, it said.

The company will start production of other DRAM devices using 30-nanometer technology with a smaller memory capacity during the first quarter of next year, the company added. The manufacturing of the latest product will follow in the coming months.

The move suggests that Hynix is in a transition to more advanced 30- to 40-nanometer technology from its previous 40- to 50-nanometer technology, experts said. With advanced technologies, chipmakers can drastically cut production costs and pocket higher profits.

“Companies in Taiwan and Japan are still focusing on 50- to 60-nanometer technology, but Hynix is moving towards 30- to 40-nanometer,” said Kim Seong-in, head of technology sector research at Kiwoom Securities Co. “The gap in cost competitiveness will become wider.”

The move will also help the Korean chipmaker to battle the recent downturn in the semiconductor industry with reduced production costs, Kim added.

Lower-than-expected global demand for personal computers has battered memory chip prices in the fourth quarter. A spot price of the benchmark 2-gigabyte DDR3 DRAM plunged 54 percent in December from three months ago, according to Kim Young-jun, an analyst at LIG Investment & Securities Co. (Yonhap News)