Samsung unveils zHBM AI memory chip with 8x HBM5 speed

TL;DR

Samsung introduced zHBM, a memory-chip concept for AI servers that stacks memory vertically on top of an AI accelerator.

The company says zHBM could deliver about 8x faster speeds and more than 10x the memory density of HBM5, with better energy efficiency and lower thermal resistance.

Samsung has not announced a production timeline, but zHBM is expected only after HBM5 reaches customers, likely beyond 2028.

Samsung, the world's biggest memory chip maker, has unveiled a new memory chip concept called zHBM for future AI servers. It promises extremely high data-transfer speeds and memory density compared to even HBM5 chips, which have not yet launched.

At the Future of Memory and Storage (FMS) 2026 expo in Santa Clara, California, Samsung Electronics unveiled zHBM, short for Z-axis High Bandwidth Memory. The concept is designed for advanced AI computing devices, including AI servers and data centers. Samsung claims that zHBM can offer approximately eight times (8x) higher speeds and more than 10 times (10x) the memory density of HBM5 chips.

These improvements are made possible by stacking HBM chips directly on top of an AI accelerator rather than placing them horizontally beside it on an interposer. This arrangement shortens the distance between the processor and memory, which could improve data-transfer speeds.

Samsung says zHBM chips could offer 10 times more memory density than HBM5 chips through next-generation wafer-bonding technology. They could also provide three times better energy efficiency and 50% lower thermal resistance than conventional memory configurations.

Samsung zHBM Concept Explanation At Future Memory And Storage 2026 Expo Keynote Presentation

Samsung Electronics

zHBM chip concept being explained by Samsung executive at the Future Memory And Storage 2026 expo in Santa Clara, California

zHBM chips could also support customer-specific designs, allowing customized components to be integrated into the layer between the AI accelerator and the memory chip. This could enable even higher memory capacity and improve accelerator performance.

Samsung has not announced when it plans to begin producing zHBM chips, but they could be introduced after HBM5 chips become available to customers sometime in 2028. So, we are looking beyong 2028 to zHBM chips being ready for an actual commercial launch.

Asif Iqbal Shaik - Senior Editor

[email protected]

First Samsung device: T100

Asif is a computer engineer turned technology journalist. He has been using Samsung phones since 2004, and his current smartphone is the Galaxy S23 Ultra. He loves headphones, mechanical keyboards, and PC hardware. When not writing about technology, he likes watching crime and science fiction movies and TV shows.

Business AI Artificial Intelligence HBM HBM5 NAND Samsung Device Solutions Samsung Memory zHBM zNAND-O

Samsung unveils zHBM memory chip concept with 8x speed compared to HBM5

TL;DR

Asif Iqbal Shaik - Senior Editor