Samsung launches faster DRAM using HKMG tech
Samsung Electronics' HKMG tech-based DDR5 memory chips / Courtesy of Samsung Electronics
By Kim Yoo-chul
While the continued global shortage of semiconductor chips has led the top industry players to issue a blunt warning, the Korean tech behemoth Samsung said Thursday it has launched an advanced DRAM-type memory chip.
In a statement, Samsung said it was the industry's first to develop and launch 512GB DDR5 memory chip modules using High-K Metal Gate (HKMG) technology, which uses high dielectric constant dielectrics and metalized gates. This new advanced type of memory chip is mainly designed for server systems that will support DDR5 DRAM.
Such backing is expected, for example, in the new AMD EPYC (Genoa, Zen4) and Intel Xeon (Sapphire Rapids) processors. In terms of specifications, its 521GB DDR5 registered R-DIMM memory module uses 32 16GB stacks based on eight 16GB DRAM devices. The 8-Hi stacks use silicon via interconnects to ensure low power and quality signaling, according to the release.
“Based on technological competitiveness both in memory and logic chips, Samsung Electronics applied the HKMG process in manufacturing memory chips for the first time in the industry. Samsung hopes the new DDR5 memory, highlighted with high energy efficiency, will be used in a lot of applicable areas such as driverless vehicles and smart city projects,” Sohn Young-soo, vice president of Samsung's memory business product planning, was quoted as saying in the statement.
Samsung claims that its DDR5-embedded devices probably consume 13 percent less power than predecessors, due to enhancements including the advanced DDR5's reduced voltages and an HKMG insulating layer.
Regarding updates of sample testing on new chips, the firm is saying that Samsung has “already started sampling various DDR5 modules” with “various partners” from the server community. It is hoping that its new DIMMs will be validated and certified by the time servers using DDR5 chips mainly hit the market.
Also, the development of Samsung chips came as forecasts of “server DRAM chips” look strong with market researcher TrendForce expecting server DRAM prices to rise nearly 20 percent quarter-on-quarter because of a cyclical upturn in server shipments.
“In addition to the peak-season effect, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to influence server manufacturers as well. Server manufacturers have intentionally extended their component inventories by several more weeks because of pandemic-induced uncertainties,” the research firm said.
Another interesting point is that Thursday's announcement by Samsung came a day after Intel clarified its intention to make a new push into the foundry chip business. Some investors viewed Intel's new aim as a challenging factor for Samsung in the foundry business sector as Samsung is chasing Taiwan's TSMC in the highly profitable and less-volatile foundry world. Thus, Samsung is on alert over Intel's foundry aim.
But Samsung is already a serious business partner with Intel, with the latter's experienced engineering teams collaborating with Samsung to consistently deliver fast, power-efficient DDR5 memory chips for Intel's new processors.
Samsung, the world's largest memory chip manufacturer, hasn't changed its stance toward the market where there is a serious imbalance between supply and demand. The lack of chips is disrupting the global automotive industry and Samsung signaled its next Galaxy Note smartphone could be delayed until 2022.
A report issued Thursday by the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade (KIET) claimed the Biden administration could intervene in the ongoing global memory chip shortage issue by possibly mandating foreign investors, such as Samsung, to invest more in their plants in the United States.