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3D TSV integration is getting ever closer to the mainstream

Yole Développement (Yole) has analyzed three dimensional through-silicon via (3D TSV) integration for more than 10 years, ever since a microphone from SonionMems first used TSVs in MEMS devices, and Toshiba adopted TSVs in image sensors. Then the first signs of TSV adoption in memory integration came from multiple developments at Samsung, Micron and Toshiba. Meanwhile, Qualcomm, ST Ericsson and other application processor designers were interested in 3D integration of memory and logic die.

Today, TSVs have been widely adopted by MEMS and CMOS image sensor manufacturers, driven by the need to further shrink form factors and ease package integration. Key memory players are also entering mass production, driven by the need for higher bandwidth performance. Very recently, the second generation of High Bandwidth Memory (HBM2) interface has entered mass production at Samsung. For more details on 3D TSV integration, see Yole’s report 3DIC & 2.5D TSV Interconnect for Advanced Packaging 2014 Business Update.

Advanced Packaging revenue forecast by packaging platform - Yole DéveloppementYole Développement’s report Status of the Advanced Packaging Industry 2015 

The name HBM2 is justified. Samsung’s new DRAM package features 256Gbps of bandwidth, doubling the current HBM1 DRAM package. This is equivalent to a more than seven-fold increase over the 36Gbps bandwidth of a 4Gb GDDR5 DRAM chip, which at 9Gbps has the fastest data speed per pin among currently manufactured DRAM chips. Samsung’s 4GB HBM2 also enables enhanced power efficiency by doubling the bandwidth per watt over a 4Gb-GDDR5-based solution, and embeds error-correcting code functionality to offer high reliability.

In addition, Samsung plans to produce an 8GB HBM2 DRAM package within 2016. By specifying 8GB HBM2 DRAM in graphics cards, designers will be able to profit from space savings of more than 95 percent compared to using GDDR5 DRAM. This enables better solutions for compact devices that require high-level graphics computing capabilities.

The company will steadily increase production volume of its HBM2 DRAM over the remainder of the year to meet anticipated growth in market demand for network systems and servers.

The applications targeted are high-end, like high performance computing (HPC), advanced graphics and network systems, as well as enterprise servers. However, this second generation at Samsung paves the way for wider adoption of 3D TSV stacked memories in lower-end applications in the next 3 years. As volumes go up and price goes down, we can expect more announcements from Samsung and its main competitors.

For more information see the article: Samsung begins mass producing world’s fastest DRAM – Based on newest high mandwidth memory (HBM) interface

 

Author: Jean-Christophe Eloy, President and CEO at Yole Développement

Source:   Yole Développement

 

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