Japan's SoftBank and US-based Intel are working to develop a new type of memory semiconductor for artificial intelligence (AI) applications that reduces power consumption by about half compared to high-bandwidth memory (HBM).
According to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) on May 31, for the development of this new semiconductor, the recently established company "Cymemory" plans to utilize Intel's technology as well as patents held by the University of Tokyo and others. Over the next two years, Cymemory will produce prototypes and then assess the feasibility of mass production.
Cymemory will serve as the command center for the development project, handling intellectual property (IP) management and chip design, while outsourcing manufacturing to external companies. SoftBank has already decided to invest 3 billion yen (approximately 29 billion won), making it the largest investor.
The company is also considering requesting financial support from the Japanese government in the future, and it has been reported that Japan's National Institute of Physical and Chemical Research and other organizations are discussing technological cooperation and potential investment.
If the development is successful, SoftBank plans to use the new memory semiconductor in data centers and other applications.
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