JEDEC Approaches Finalization of HBM4 Standard, Eyes Future Innovations

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JEDEC Solid State Technology Association, the global leader in the development of standards for the microelectronics industry, announced it is nearing completion of the next version of its highly anticipated High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) DRAM standard: HBM4.  Designed as an evolutionary step beyond the currently published HBM3 standard, HBM4 aims to further enhance data processing rates while maintaining essential features such as higher bandwidth, lower power consumption, and increased capacity per die and/or stack.  These advancements are vital for applications that require efficient handling of large datasets and complex calculations, including generative artificial intelligence (AI), high-performance computing, high-end graphics cards, and servers.

HBM4 is set to introduce a doubled channel count per stack compared to HBM3, with a larger physical footprint.  To support device compatibility, the standard ensures that a single controller can work with both HBM3 and HBM4 if needed.  Different configurations will require various interposers to accommodate the differing footprints.  HBM4 will specify 24 Gb and 32 Gb layers, with options for supporting 4-high, 8-high, 12-high and 16-high TSV stacks. The committee has initial agreement on speeds bins up to 6.4 Gbps with discussion ongoing for higher frequencies.