Samsung HBM4 Memory In Development For 2025 Debut: 16-Hi Stacks & 3D Packaging

Samsung has announced the development of its next-gen HBM4 memory which will debut in 2025 with some grand specs and features.

In a blog post by the Korean semiconductor manufacturer, Samsung once again reaffirmed that its HBM4 memory is currently in development and should debut in 2025. The company's current HBM portfolio includes the HBM3E "Shinebolt" as the top offering, featuring up to 36 GB capacities using 24 Gb DRAM and up to 9.8 Gbps transfer speeds. The memory technology supports stacks up to 12 Hi and utilizes 2.5D packaging.

The next evolution to Samsung's HBM portfolio will come in the form of HBM 4. The codename for this particular memory offering is currently not known but it should take things to an even grander scale. Starting with the specifications, Samsung's HBM4 memory is expected to include up to 16-Hi stacks, and if we use the same 24 Gb modules, we can get up to 256 GB of HBM4 capacities at very fast speeds compared to the current peak of around 10 Gbps.

First, there is ‘segmentation’. In the early market, the versatility of hardware was important, but in the future, as services mature around killer apps, hardware infrastructure will inevitably go through a process of being optimized for each service. Samsung Electronics plans to respond by unifying the core die and diversifying packages and base dies such as 8H, 12H, and 16H.

Samsung Korea (Machine Translated)

Currently, NVIDIA's Blackwell B100/B200 and AMD's Instinct MI300 GPUs offer up to 192 GB HBM capacities. The former utilizes the newer HBM3E standard while the latter utilizes the HBM3 DRAM solution. Both GPUs feature 8 HBM sites, each with 12-Hi stacks so if you just upgrade those to the newer 16-Hi stacks, you get up to 256 GB capacities. That's not even accounting the denser DRAM modules (24 Gb+) which will become available with HBM4.

If the first innovation to solve the power wall began with the introduction of the base die using the logic process starting with the next-generation HBM4, the second innovation will occur as it gradually evolves from the current 2.5D to 3D HBM. It is expected that a third innovation will occur as DRAM cells and logic evolve to become more mixed, like HBM-PIM. We are currently in discussion with customers and partners to realize these innovations, and we will proactively plan and prepare to open the market.

Samsung Korea (Machine Translated)

Furthermore, another key technology behind HBM4 will be the utilization of 3D packaging. JEDEC was recently mentioned to have relaxed the requirements for HBM4 memory, allowing companies to utilize existing bonding tech. The next-gen 3D packaging may also overcome some of the pricing concerns associated with hybrid bonding. AMD is expected to refresh its MI300 lineup with MI350 & MI370 series which are expected to incorporate increased capacities while NVIDIA could refresh its Blackwell GPUs once HBM4 supply gets steady for faster variants in the future.