Samsung develops its first 12-layer HBM3E memory chips of 36GB – update

Samsung has developed twelve-layer HBM3E memory chips. These chips each have a capacity of 36GB and achieve peak bandwidths of 1.28TB/s. Samsung is currently sharing samples with customers. Mass production will start in the first half of 2024.

The Samsung HBM3E 12H chips consist of twelve layers. The company's previous HBM3 chips consist of stacks of eight layers. This increases the capacity by fifty percent: from 24 to 36GB.

The new modules are produced with advanced thermal compression non-conductive film, or tc-ncf. As a result, they have the same height as the previous eight-layer modules. This TC-NCF should also improve the thermal properties of the memory modules, because different types of bumps can be used during the production process. Samsung uses smaller bumps for signaling and larger ones in places that require heat dissipation. With this production method, the yields are also higher than before, claims the South Korean tech giant.

Samsung's HBM3E chips will be available under the code name Shinebolt. The chipmaker previously shared specifications of this memory generation. The manufacturer then mentioned speeds of 9.8Gbit/s per pin, which would amount to a bandwidth of more than 1.25TB/s per module. However, the chipmaker now mentions a maximum bandwidth of 1.28TB/s per module.

There are more manufacturers working on HBM3E memory. For example, Micron on Monday shared details about its HBM3E memory chips, which consist of eight layers and have a capacity of 24GB. That American manufacturer will also be releasing 36GB HBM3E modules later this year, which are also currently being sampled. HBM is used, among other things, in GPUs, and especially in data center products.

Update, 6:37 PM: The article suggested that Samsung was the first manufacturer to use twelve-layer HBM3E chips has developed, but Micron has also recently started sampling such memory modules. The article has been adjusted accordingly.

HBM memory offering from Samsung HBM generation HBM3E HBM3 HBM2E HBM2 HBM2 Name Shinebolt Icebolt Flashbolt Aquabolt Flarebolt Capacity 36GB 24GB 16GB 8GB 4GB/8GB Bandwidth per pin 9.8Gbit/s 6.4Gbit/s 3.2Gbit/s 2.4Gbit/s 2.0Gbit/s 1.6Gbit/s Bandwidth per stack 1254.4GB/s 819.2GB/s 410GB/s 307.2GB/s 256GB/s 204.8GB/s