Overcoming Physical Limits of DRAM Modules, Enabling Capacity and Bandwidth Expansion
Verified on Intel's Next-Generation Platform
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] Samsung Electronics has developed the world's first next-generation DRAM technology that can connect memory processing high-performance computations from different types of devices such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and big data into one. The core achievement is expanding the existing gigabyte-level memory capacity to the terabyte level (1TB=1024GB), more than doubling it, marking the first step toward establishing a next-generation standard suitable for processing large volumes of data such as AI and big data.
Samsung Electronics announced on the 11th that it has succeeded in developing large-capacity, high-bandwidth DRAM technology applicable to the next-generation 'interface' (a medium that allows information devices to exchange data), which the related industry has been discussing as necessary to elevate the performance of existing computing systems to the next level.
Currently, computing systems use various interfaces including central processing units (CPU), graphics processing units (GPU), memory, and storage devices (HDD·SSD). With the advent of the 4th Industrial Revolution and the hyper-connected era, the volume of data to be processed is increasing exponentially, but existing interfaces have limitations.
Companies leading related businesses in the global market have begun discussing the introduction of a new interface called 'Compute Express Link (CXL)' to utilize accelerators, memory, and storage devices used alongside CPUs more efficiently. A representative example is the establishment of the CXL Consortium in 2019, which included CPU manufacturers, memory manufacturers, GPU manufacturers, server companies, and software companies.
The DRAM memory technology developed by Samsung Electronics this time is also based on CXL. This technology, called 'CXL DRAM,' expands memory capacity by being additionally installed in the system alongside existing main DRAM (DDR). A Samsung Electronics official explained, "It can increase memory capacity to the terabyte level, which is more than twice the existing capacity."
Samsung has completed verification that CXL DRAM operates properly on the next-generation platform currently being developed by CPU manufacturer Intel. Park Cheol-min, Executive Director of the Memory Business Division Product Planning Team at Samsung Electronics, said, "CXL DRAM technology will play a key memory solution role in future advanced fields such as next-generation computing, large-scale data centers, and artificial intelligence. We will lead next-generation technologies required by smart data centers and strengthen cooperation with global companies to enable rapid expansion of the CXL ecosystem."
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