Date: 08/12/2010

Samsung applies TSV tech to 3D stack multiple DDR3 DRAMs

Samsung applies 3D silcon chip stacking technology to develop eight gigabyte (GB) registered dual inline memory module based on its advanced Green DDR3 DRAM. The new memory module used 'through silicon via' (TSV) technology.

"At Samsung, we're well positioned to accommodate early market demand for our state-of-the-art TSV technology as the industry continues to forge forward with even further advances in bonding technology to enable greater performance and operational efficiency," said Dr. Chang-Hyun Kim, senior vice president and Samsung fellow, memory product planning & application engineering at Samsung Electronics. "Our 40nm-class* RDIMM being announced today marks the introduction of a more advanced eco-friendly "Green Memory" product line up utilizing 3D-TSV technology that is expected to enhance the leadership of Samsung and our allies in server and enterprise storage."

Samsung claims an 8GB RDIMM utilizing Samsung's 3D TSV technology saves up to 40 percent of the power consumed by a conventional RDIMM and improvement in memory chip density. This dram chip is highly suggested for servers to reduce power consumption and less save space.

The TSV technology fabricates micron-sized holes through the silicon vertically, with a copper filling. By using the 'through silicon via' bonding process instead of conventional wire bonding, signal lines are shortened significantly, enabling the multi-stacked chip to function at levels comparable to a single silicon chip.

Samsung says increasingly widespread adoption of the 3D TSV technology is expected to take place from 2012. Samsung plans to apply the higher performance and lower power features of its TSV technology to 30nm-class and finer process nodes.