Samsung is going to make 24GB hbm2 chips that consist of twelve layers

Samsung has developed a technique to use through silicon vias to make dram chips that consist of twelve layers. The current maximum is eight layers. Samsung will use the technology in HBM2 chips, among other things.

According to Samsung, the new chips use TSVs with twelve layers for the first time. Samsung already used tsvs for its hbm2 memory, but the maximum so far was eight layers. With dies of 16Gbit each, this has so far provided a maximum capacity of 16GB per package. By using twelve layers, that now becomes a maximum of 24GB.

Samsung maintains a height of 720 micrometers with its new twelve-layer TSV chips. Samsung’s current eight-layer dram chips are the same height. Samsung will initially use the new technology in the production of hbm2 chips with a capacity of 24GB. Currently, Samsung produces hbm2 chips with a capacity of up to 16GB. This memory type is mainly used in high-end video cards for servers.

Stacking chips is done to use space as efficiently as possible. One of the techniques manufacturers can use to increase memory density in chips is die stacking. This increases the memory capacity and the required space remains the same.

Unlike wire bonding, in which the chips are wired to the memory controllers, the connection runs through the chips with TSV technology. This goes through miniscule channels, of which the new twelve-layer chips contain 60,000. This is equivalent to 5000 channels per layer.