Samsung Electronics has commercialized a “HBM2E DRAM” that has higher speed than HBM (High Bandwidth Memory). HBM2E is a next-generation DRAM with superhigh speed. It is an item that has high expectations as it is suitable for AI systems such as machine learning and next-generation supercomputers.
Samsung Electronics announced that it has launched HBM2E DRAM called “Flashbolt”.
Flashbolt features a 1024-bit bus with a 3.2 Gbps data transfer speed. As a result, it is able to process 410GB of data per second. Samsung Electronics explained that this speed is equivalent to the speed of sending 82 full HD movies in just one second.
HBM2E is the latest specification of HBM DRAM. HBM is a memory that has drastically faster data processing speed than regular DRAMs as it vertically stacks semiconductor chips. Although HBM2 DRAM had been the latest version of HBM, Samsung Electronics has succeeded in introducing the industry’s first HBM2E.
Samsung Electronics explained that it developed Flashbolt by placing 8 16Gb DRAM chips on top of a buffer chip. It also applied a superhigh density technology that creates 5,6000 holes into these 16GB DRAM chips and vertically connects these chips through 40,000 TSV (Through Silicon Via) bumps. Flashbolt has 2 times and 1.3 times better capacity and speed respectively than the latest DRAM.
Samsung Electronics is planning to grab the upper hand of the next-generation premium memory market with its HBM2E DRAM. It is planning to supply Flashbolt on full-scale soon mainly for AI system, next-generation supercomputer, and GPU system with high performance. It is heard that Samsung Electronics has secured orders from its customers and finished preparations to mass-produce Flashbolt. Exact timing of production and scale of supply have not been made public.
“By introducing a next-generation DRAM with the best performance, we are planning to maintain our competitive edge within the premium market that is growing at a rapid rate.” said Vice-President Choi Cheol of Samsung Electronics Memory Business Department’s Strategy Marketing Team.
Competition between Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix is set to be full-brown this year as SK Hynix has also finished developing its own HBM2E DRAM. SK Hynix informed the public last year about its plan to develop HBM2E DRAM and that it plans to mass-produce HBM2E DRAMs this year.
Staff Reporter Yun, Geonil | benyun@etnews.com