Samsung Electronics aims to take the lead in the emerging realm of 3D DRAM memory, as reported by Semiconductor Engineering. This strategic direction, revealed at the Memcon 2024 conference, underscores the company’s proactive stance in addressing the constraints of conventional memory designs as the industry steers towards smaller chip sizes.
Samsung’s Strategic Move in 3D DRAM
As the width of DRAM lines is anticipated to decrease below 10nm by the latter part of this decade, existing memory architectures are nearing their scaling thresholds. This has prompted the exploration of alternative solutions like 3D DRAM, offering notable advantages in terms of capacity and space efficiency.
Key Technologies Showcased
During Memcon 2024, Samsung presented two pivotal technologies for 3D DRAM: Vertical Channel Transistors and Stacked DRAM. Vertical Channel Transistors signify a fundamental change in transistor design, aiming to reduce the transistor’s footprint by transitioning the current flow channel from horizontal to vertical. On the other hand, Stacked DRAM focuses on maximizing space utilization by stacking multiple layers of memory cells within a single chip along the vertical dimension.
Market Projections and Samsung’s Initiatives
Samsung’s long-term roadmap envisions boosting memory capabilities across various sectors such as data centers, consumer electronics, artificial intelligence, and 5G networks. The 3D DRAM market is forecasted to soar to $100 billion by 2028. To cement its lead, Samsung established a dedicated 3D DRAM research lab in Silicon Valley earlier this year, aiming to attract top talent and intensify R&D endeavors. Additionally, Samsung is exploring MUF Technology to produce next-gen DRAM for servers.
The advancements in 3D DRAM technology align with Samsung’s aspirations for a new era of memory tech, promising enhanced performance and compact devices in the future. While competition in this sphere is expected to heat up, Samsung’s early strides and research commitment position them favorably to dominate the 3D DRAM revolution.
