Samsung Electronics Achieves World's First Development of Intelligent Memory Semiconductor

Samsung Electronics Develops World's First Intelligent Memory Semiconductor 'HBM-PIM'
Memory Semiconductor with AI Engine for Simultaneous Storage and Computation
Performance Doubled and Power Consumption Reduced by 70% Compared to Existing Products
Accelerating AI Technology Innovation Requiring Massive Data Processing

[Asia Economy Reporters Suyeon Woo and Hyunjin Jeong] Samsung Electronics has succeeded in developing the world's first intelligent memory semiconductor that simultaneously processes data storage and computation. This development of an intelligent memory semiconductor capable of seamlessly handling vast amounts of data is expected to advance the era of artificial intelligence (AI) by a step.

On the 17th, Samsung Electronics announced that it has developed ‘HBM-PIM (Processing-in-Memory)’, which combines memory semiconductors and AI engines into one. This semiconductor integrates memory semiconductors responsible for storage and system semiconductors responsible for computation, and is expected to be widely used in fields requiring large-scale data processing at once, such as AI systems and servers.

In conventional computer design, data processing occurs by the central processing unit (CPU) issuing commands to fetch data stored in memory semiconductors, which is then passed to system semiconductors for computation. During this process, data moves sequentially through a single channel, causing delays when the volume of data increases.

To address this, academia and industry have proposed ‘PIM’ technology, which integrates processors responsible for some computations inside the memory itself, as an alternative. Samsung Electronics has overcome previous limitations and opened a new chapter of innovation by successfully developing the world’s first intelligent memory semiconductor product (HBM-PIM) utilizing PIM technology.

The new intelligent memory semiconductor performs storage and computation in the same space, doubling performance compared to existing products while reducing power consumption by more than 70%. This is because the AI engine responsible for computation is embedded within the memory semiconductor, enhancing performance and reducing data movement, thereby lowering power requirements. Additionally, the product supports the interface of existing products, allowing use without additional hardware or software changes, which is a significant advantage.

AI technologies used in various fields such as image classification, speech recognition, and machine translation require seamless processing of vast amounts of data. For this reason, the semiconductor industry is making multifaceted efforts to enhance the performance of memory semiconductors, which are core components of AI technology.

According to McKinsey & Company, the AI semiconductor market is expected to grow to $65 billion by 2025, accounting for about 19% of the entire semiconductor market. Samsung Electronics plans to introduce a new concept to the AI semiconductor market and secure market leadership by succeeding in developing this intelligent memory semiconductor product.

Samsung Electronics plans to complete testing and verification by installing the intelligent memory semiconductor in customers’ AI accelerators (dedicated hardware for AI execution) within the first half of the year. Kwangil Park, Executive Vice President and Head of Product Planning Team at Samsung Electronics’ Memory Business Division, said, "HBM-PIM is the industry's first AI-customized PIM solution that can maximize the performance of AI accelerators," adding, "We will build a new ecosystem through continuous cooperation with customers."

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