Samsung Electronics has unveiled a groundbreaking 12nm low-power DRAM (LPDDR) with a thickness of just 0.65mm, responding to the rapidly growing on-device AI market. This move comes as the artificial intelligence (AI) sector continues to heat up, driving demand for smart terminal devices.
According to South Korean media outlets ET News and Chosun Biz, Samsung has begun mass production of its 12nm LPDDR5X DRAM. This new product, supporting 12GB and 16GB capacities, is currently the thinnest LPDDR DRAM on the market for capacities of 12GB or higher. Compared to its predecessor, the thickness has been reduced by approximately 9%, while heat resistance has improved by about 21.2%.
The newly produced LPDDR5X targets mobile smart devices, employing a 12nm process and a four-layer stacking structure. Samsung has achieved the industry's thinnest package thickness through improvements in printed circuit boards (PCB) and epoxy molding compound (EMC) technologies, as well as the use of a back-lap process to grind the wafer's backside.
Yongcheol Bae, head of product planning at Samsung's memory business division, emphasized the importance of both LPDDR DRAM performance and improved heat dissipation capabilities as demand for high-performance smart devices increases. The thinner DRAM allows for smaller device designs or more internal space in devices of the same size, improving airflow and temperature management.
Samsung aims to promptly supply LPDDR5X DRAM products to mobile application processor (AP) manufacturers and mobile device makers, seeking to expand its market share in the power-efficient DRAM market. As of the first quarter of 2024, Samsung held a 57.9% share of the global mobile DRAM market, according to market research firm Omdia.
Looking ahead, Samsung plans to develop even thinner six-layer 24GB modules and 8-layer 32GB modules of low-power DRAM to capture a larger share of the smart device market. This aligns with Samsung's broader strategy of actively developing AI technology and making related investments.
Since July 2024, Samsung has invested in several AI-related firms, including U.S. AI semiconductor company DreamBig Semiconductor, Dutch AI solutions startup Axelera AI, and U.S. AI semiconductor startup Groq.
As the AI trend continues to gain momentum, Samsung's latest DRAM innovation and strategic investments position the company at the forefront of the on-device AI revolution, ready to meet the evolving demands of the market.
Article translated by Andrew Yeh
