82 Films '1-Second Transmission'... Samsung Launches World's First Ultra-High-Speed DRAM

Supercomputer and AI Data Analysis
16GB 3rd Generation HBM2E Developed
1.3x Faster and 2x Capacity Compared to 2nd Generation

Samsung Electronics TSV Technology-Based DRAM Product Development and Mass Production History

[Asia Economy Reporter Dongwoo Lee] Samsung Electronics has unveiled the world's first ultra-high-speed DRAM capable of transmitting about 80 Full HD quality movies per second.

On the 4th, Samsung Electronics announced the launch of 'Flashbolt,' an ultra-high-speed DRAM that can be used for next-generation supercomputers (HPC) and AI-based data analysis. This comes just over two years after the industry-first mass production of the 2nd generation 8GB HBM2 DRAM in 2018.

High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) refers to memory semiconductors that create electron pathways with diameters of a few micrometers (μm = one-millionth of a meter), about 1/20th the thickness of a human hair, on the top and bottom of semiconductor chips, stacking DRAM chips vertically and connecting them. To achieve this, Samsung Electronics applied Through Silicon Via (TSV) packaging technology.

The newly released Flashbolt is a 16GB capacity 3rd generation HBM2E DRAM. Compared to the existing 2nd generation, its speed and capacity have improved by 1.3 times and 2 times, respectively. It stacks eight 16-gigabit (Gb) DRAM chips on a single buffer chip to realize a 16GB capacity. This enables optimal solutions such as maximum capacity, highest speed, and ultra-low power consumption in next-generation customer systems. Over 5,600 tiny holes were drilled into the DRAM chips, connecting the eight chips vertically with more than 40,000 TSV bonding balls.

A key feature is that multiple chips operate simultaneously to quickly deliver large capacity. Samsung Electronics explained that Flashbolt processes 410GB of data at a speed of 3.2Gb per second. This speed allows the transmission of 82 Full HD quality movies in just one second. A Samsung Electronics official stated, "Compared to the existing 2nd generation HBM2, which could transmit 61 movies at 2.4Gb per second, this means about 20 more movies can be transmitted."

When maximizing performance, data transfer speeds of up to 4.2Gb per second can be secured. It is expected that next-generation systems in specific fields will be able to process 538GB in one second. Compared to the 2nd generation product, this represents more than a 1.75-fold increase in data processing speed per second.

Samsung Electronics plans to lead the growth of the premium memory market by preemptively developing next-generation high-bandwidth memory DRAM. Initially, they plan to simultaneously supply 2nd generation HBM2 and 3rd generation HBM2E to continuously drive market expansion. Flashbolt is already known to have secured major global customers. In fact, companies that have purchased Flashbolt from Samsung Electronics include IT firms such as Google and Nvidia, which require high-capacity and high-speed data processing.

The industry predicts that demand for high value-added HBM memory semiconductors, essential for AI, machine learning, and 5th generation (5G) mobile communications, will surge in the future. Samsung Electronics plans to mass-produce this product this year to improve not only AI-based ultra-high-speed data analysis but also high-performance graphics systems, overcome the performance limits of supercomputers, and contribute to the timely development of next-generation high-performance systems.

Choi Cheol, Vice President of the Memory Business Strategy Marketing Office at Samsung Electronics, said, "With the launch of the highest-performance next-generation DRAM package ever, we can continue to maintain our business competitiveness in the rapidly growing premium market," adding, "We will further strengthen our unique business capabilities by providing more differentiated solutions in the future."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.