Samsung Electronics has begun mass producing NVM Express (NVMe) PCIe solid state drive (SSD) in a single ball grid array (BGA) package for next-generation PCs and ultra-slim notebook PCs. The new BGA NVMe SSD, named PM971-NVMe, features a compact package that contains all essential SSD components including NAND flash memory, DRAM and controller. Configuring the PM971-NVMe SSD in a single BGA package was enabled by combining 16 of Samsung's 48-layer 256Gb V-NAND flash chips, one 20nm 4Gb LPDDR4 mobile DRAM chip and a high-performance Samsung controller. The new SSD is 20x16x1.5mm and weighs only about one gram. The single-package SSD's volume is approximately a 100th of a 2.5-inch SSD or HDD, and its surface area is about a fifth of an M.2 SSD. The PM971-NVMe SSD enables sequential read and write speeds of up to 1,500MB/s and 900MB/s respectively, when TurboWrite technology is used. The performance figures can be directly compared to transferring a 5GB-equivalent, Full-HD movie in about three seconds or downloading it in about six seconds. It also boasts random read and write IOPS of up to 190K and 150K respectively. The PM971-NVMe SSD line-up will be available in 512GB, 256GB and 128GB storage options. Samsung will start providing the new SSDs to its customers in June worldwide.

Samsung Electronics has announced that it is mass producing 12Gb LPDDR4 (low power, double data rate 4) mobile DRAM chips based on its 20nm process technology. The new LPDDR4 is expected to significantly accelerate the adoption of high-capacity mobile DRAM worldwide, Samsung indicated. The 12Gb LPDDR4 brings the largest capacity and highest speed available for a DRAM chip, the company said. Compared to the preceding 20nm-based 8Gb LPDDR4, the 12Gb version is more than 30% faster at 4,266Mbps, and is twice as fast as DDR4 DRAM for PCs, while consuming 20% less energy, Samsung claimed. Manufacturing productivity of the 12Gb LPDDR4 has been raised more than 50% over that of 20nm-class 8Gb LPDDR4, the company said. The 12Gb LPDDR4 enables 3GB or 6GB of mobile DRAM in a single package using two chips and four chips respectively, while being the only solution that can provide a 6GB LPDDR4 package, Samsung said. Based on the new 12Gb LPDDR4, the 6GB package can fit into the same space used for 3GB LPDDR4 packages currently available, the company indicated.

Samsung Electronics is mass producing ePoP (embedded package on package) memory, a single memory package consisting of 3GB LPDDR3 DRAM, 32GB eMMC and a controller. For use in high-end smartphones, the thin ePoP can be stacked directly on top of the mobile processor. The 3GB LPDDR3 mobile DRAM inside the ePoP operates at an I/O data transfer rate of 1,866Mb/s, and sports a 64-bit I/O bandwidth. Because of its thinness and heat-resistant properties, Samsung's smartphone ePoP does not need any space beyond the 225mm2 (15 by 15mm) taken up by the mobile application processor. A conventional PoP (also 15 by 15mm), consisting of the mobile processor and DRAM, along with a separate eMMC (11.5mm by 13mm) package, takes up 374.5mm2. The single-package configuration also meets the semiconductor package height ceiling of 1.4mm, Samsung said.