Hynix Semi and Samsung are to cooperate on developing MRAM chips with the backing of the South Korean government.

The two firms are deadly rivals in the supply of DRAM, but will cooperate to create next generation magnetic random access memory chips.

According to the Taipei Times, the two firms will also cooperate on developing chips made on the future 18-inch (450mm) wafer standard. Which is a little odd, because for a major shift to larger wafer sizes, the entire semiconductor industry has to cooperate.

The MRAM tie up is seen as a response to an alliance between major Japanese semi companies, which have recently been funded to the tune of $28 million by the government to work together on MRAM technology. X