3D DRAM Modules
Samsung Electronics announced on August 27 that it has started to mass produce 64 GB DDR4 modules using Through Silicon Via (TSV) technology.
TSV technology is a high performance technique aimed at creating 3D packages that enable a vertical electrical connection of chips by making tiny holes in chips, rather than connecting chips using wires. After DRAM chips are sliced thinner than half the thickness of paper, they are pierced to contain hundreds of fine holes and vertically connected through electrodes that pass through the holes of the chips. Compared to the existing method using wires, the cutting-edge packaging technology can improve performance and reduce power consumption.
The new 64GB TSV module is composed of 144 20nm 4Gb chips, featuring 36 4Gb chips in a four-layer stack.
Samsung is going to target the new DDR4 module market by linking the new 64GB DDR4 module with next-gen CPUs of global IT companies scheduled to be released in the latter half of this year.
After starting to mass produce the industry's first 3D Vertical NAND Flash last year, the Korean chip maker has begun to mass produce the next-gen DDR4 module using TSV technology this time. Based on these achievements, the company is planning to lead the era of 3D memory semiconductors. The 3D V-NAND method is about piling up memory cells, while the 3D TSV technology is related to stacking up memory chips.