Samsung Unveils New Memory Technologies for AI and General Computing at FMS

Next-Gen Memory Unveiled

At the Future of Memory and Storage (FMS) conference in Santa Clara, Samsung introduced several new memory and storage technologies. The unveiled concepts include zHBM, zNAND-O, and BV-NAND, which are designed to address the demands of AI and general-purpose computing applications.

Wafer Bonding as a Core Technology

A common element across all the new memory technologies is the reliance on advanced wafer bonding. This technique allows for the integration of memory directly onto logic dies, which is intended to maximize bandwidth, reduce latency, and minimize power consumption.

zHBM for AI Accelerators

Samsung's zHBM is a new memory architecture that vertically stacks HBM directly above AI accelerators. This design aims to boost performance up to eight times compared to previous configurations. It also incorporates next-generation wafer bonding, which could allow for over 10 times the memory density of current HBM5 technology while increasing energy efficiency threefold. This technology is primarily intended for data centers and AI accelerators.

zNAND-O and BV-NAND for Storage

The company also introduced zNAND-O, a type of NAND memory that can be bonded atop a logic device to enhance bandwidth, reduce latency, and minimize power consumption. Additionally, Samsung unveiled BV-NAND, also known as its 10th Generation V-NAND. This is a next-generation 3D NAND technology, similar to methods adopted by other manufacturers, that bonds NAND arrays atop the necessary circuitry for operation. BV-NAND is intended for use in SSDs, memory cards, and other storage devices.

Target Applications

While some of these advancements may eventually benefit general computing, the immediate focus for much of this new technology, particularly zHBM, is on AI data centers and specialized high-performance computing environments.