Memory semiconductors for On-device AI following ●HBM

Memory semiconductors for On-device AI following ●HBM

1. LLW(Low Latency Wide I/O)

• Increased input/output (I/O) to increase data processing capacity (bandwidth) compared to existing DRAM for mobile devices

• 70% more power efficiency than regular DRAM when deployed close to processor (AP)

• Low-capacity, high-bandwidth memory for on-device AI devices. Next-generation products that emerged because LPDDR DRAM modules mounted on existing mobile devices cannot implement AI computational speed

• Use TSV (silicon through electrode) in the same way as HBM to increase I/O

- Equipped with Apple AR headset 'Vision Pro': SK Hynix's custom DRAM is installed right next to the R1 chip that calculates various information with Vision Pro, and features 512 I/Os, eight times more than the existing LPDDR DRAM

2. GDDR7(Graphic Double Data Rate)

• DDR specification DRAM for graphics. Expect to use GDDR7 instead of HBM in low-end AI market outside of hyperscale

• The International Semiconductor Standards Consultative Organization (JEDEC) of the World Semiconductor Standards Association recently formalized the next-generation GDDR7 DRAM standard

• Maximum speed per I/O 48Gb/s regulation and PAM3 signaling for the first time
* Pulse-amplitude modulation (PAM3) : 1.5 bit data transmission every cycle by dividing the signal system into -1, 0 and 1. Can transmit 1.5 times more data in the same signal cycle than the existing NRZ (None Return to Zero, PMA2)

• Samsung Electronics developed 32Gbps GDDR7 DRAM for the first time in the world in July 2023. It demonstrated 37Gbps GDDR7 DRAM for the first time at the ISSCC in February 24.

• SK Hynix to implement GTC 2024 with up to 40Gbps speed GDDR7 DRAM, achieve up to 25% power efficiency compared to GDDR6, and showcase 150Gb/s bandwidth

• Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are competing for mass production in the second half of 2024, Micron has GDDR6X products, which are only about 19-24Gbps, and Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are believed to be ahead of Micron in the competition for GDDR7 semiconductors

3. CAMM(Compression Attached Memory Module)

• Listed as an official JEDEC specification as a memory module specification for laptops, etc

• The new standard is expected to be fully utilized in next-generation laptops as it supports higher operating speeds and LPDDR memory compared to existing small outline dual in-line memory modules (SO-DIMMs)

• SO-DIMM : First appeared for embedded equipment such as laptops with smaller mainboard area compared to desktop PCs and servers.
However, memory expansion standards have reached the limit of SO-DIMM standards that have been used for more than 10 years

• JEDEC has officially announced the JESD318 named CAMM2 standard, with low power operations as well as standard DDR memory

• Supports up to LPDDR5/5X memory; however, pin arrangements are different between memory types, so one motherboard can't be used or cross-used

• Until now, when using LPDDR5/5X memory, the memory was soldered directly to the motherboard, and the upgrade was not possible,
CAMM2 enables upgradeable design using LPDDR

• It is also capable of performing DDR5-600 or higher speeds considered a limit in traditional SO-DIMMs, as well as dual-channel configurations in a single module

• SO-DIMM and CAMM coexist in the current DDR5 standard, but the CAMM standard is expected to be introduced in earnest, starting with DDR6 and large memory-required laptops

• Samsung Electronics introduced LPCAMM products based on LPDDR in September 2023 and is expected to be commercialized in 24 years. Micron is also planning to release LPCAMM2 products in 24 years and plans to release products with performance of 192GB or more and 9.6Gbps or more in 26 years