삼성전자 “3D로 용량 쌓는다”…차세대 메모리 전략 ‘CUBE’ 공개

Samsung Electronics and SK Holdings' Eska Hi-Kinx unveiled their future memory strategy, 'CUBE', at the same exhibition in Taiwan. Samsung's Memory Business Product Planning Team Head for Semiconductor, Kim Soon-kyu, announced the CUBE strategy during his keynote speech at the "Semiconductor Taiwan 2026" event. CUBE stands for Capacity, Utilization, Bandwidth, and Efficiency, representing a strategy to overcome the limitations of existing memory technology.

Kim explained that the 3D design is not just about stacking chips, but about how to utilize each layer, optimizing the placement of logic and memory to eliminate data processing delays. He emphasized that by drastically reducing the distance between individual chips (dies), Samsung can form a high-speed vertical road and improve bandwidth.

The ultimate goal of 3D is to reduce the energy needed to move a single bit of data, maximizing performance per watt and minimizing power consumption and heat generation. Samsung is currently developing the 8th generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM5) based on this strategy. The 8th generation product is currently in the sample supply phase, targeting a performance that is twice that of the 7th generation (HBM4E), a 20% improvement in performance per watt, and a 20% reduction in thermal resistance.

SK Holdings' Eska Hi-Kinx Memory System Research Center Vice President, Kim Ho-sik, also delivered a keynote speech on "The Redefinition of Memory's Role in Artificial Intelligence (AI) Systems" amid the development of AI technology. Kim stressed that memory semiconductor will become a key element in determining the performance and competitiveness of AI models, and that memory chip manufacturers must become partners in designing AI-centric systems with AI technology innovators.