When the names of Samsung and SK hynix have been brought up together, their long-standing rivalry in the HBM market may be the first thing that comes to mind. However, the two memory giants now might be surprisingly forming an alliance, as they are joining forces to standardize LPDDR6-PIM products amid the AI boom, as per Business Korea.

According to the report, the growing adoption of on-device AI technology is driving the push toward commercializing PIM memory. On-device AI performs computations directly within devices such as smartphones, offering advantages over cloud-based AI services like ChatGPT, the report notes.

Collaboration on Standardization with JEDEC

The collaboration between Samsung and SK hynix on “Low Power Double Data Rate 6 (LPDDR6)-Processing In Memory (PIM)” products reportedly involves the preparation to register the standardization with the Joint Electron Device Engineering Council (JEDEC), according to Business Korea.

Citing a Samsung Electronics representative, the report indicates that the two companies are currently formulating plans for the standardization timeline.

It is worth noting that both companies have introduced PIM-related products, though their commercialization has seen limited success, the report suggests. Samsung introduced the industry’s first HBM-PIM (Aquabolt-XL) in 2021, which incorporates the AI processing function into Samsung’s HBM2 Aquabolt, according to its press release. The company also launched LPDDR5 products with PIM capabilities and pursued standardization efforts.

(credit: Samsung)

On the other hand, SK hynix launched Graphics DRAM (GDDR6)-PIM in 2022, as it plans to introduce a technology that combines GDDR6-AiM with AI chips in collaboration with AI chip company Sapeon, according to its press release.

(credit: SK hynix)

However, developing products based on their respective standards makes it challenging for the industry to adopt a unified standard, Business Korea indicates. This has prompted the two companies to collaborate on standardization efforts for PIM products prior to their commercial release, the report states.

According to Business Korea, unlike traditional memory, LPDDR with PIM requires unique technical considerations, such as “Internal Bandwidth,” which measures bandwidth within the memory itself, in contrast to the “External Bandwidth” between the processor and memory that is critical for conventional memory.

Ongoing discussions are said to be focused on determining the appropriate specifications for each standardization item, the report adds.

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(Photo credit: Samsung)