“It always seems impossible until it’s done.” This famous quote from Nelson Mandela underlines the importance of continually overcoming seemingly unsurmountable challenges to achieve a goal, an approach which is essential to succeed in the rapidly evolving semiconductor sector.

As industry standards are consistently updated, semiconductor companies are tasked with finding the necessary technical solutions to comply with these criteria. SK hynix has a long track record in this area, as recently exemplified by its ability to meet the increased speed standards for the latest GDDR¹ graphics DRAM, GDDR7.

¹Graphics DDR (GDDR): A standard specification of graphics DRAM defined by the Joint Electron Device Engineering Council (JEDEC) and specialized for processing graphics more quickly. It is now one of the most popular memory chips for AI and big data applications.

This episode of Rulebreakers’ Revolutions will focus on how the company’s design and technical innovations coupled with cross-departmental collaboration enabled it to develop the industry-leading GDDR7 with the highest levels of speed.

The Mission: Finding Technical Solutions to Meet GDDR7 Speed Standards

Traditionally used in graphics and gaming, GDDR DRAM is now applied to a broader range of fields including AI, high-performance computing (HPC), and autonomous driving. This is due to its parallel processing capability and advanced specifications such as high speed and power efficiency which have increased with each generation.

To satisfy increased industry speed standards for GDDR7, SK hynix derived key design and technical innovations

The standards for GDDR memory are set by the Joint Electron Device Engineering Council (JEDEC), the global standardization body for the microelectronics industry. These include ever-increasing speed requirements, progressing for example from GDDR5’s data rate of 5–10 gigabits per second (Gbps) per pin to GDDR6’s speed of 14–20 Gbps. For GDDR7, JEDEC set a target data rate range of 24 –32 Gbps, placing additional pressure on semiconductor companies to adapt to meet the latest specifications.

One of the main changes in the GDDR7 standards to facilitate these rapid speeds was the introduction of a new signaling interface. For the first time in a JEDEC standard for DRAM products, GDDR7 called for the use of the innovative PAM² method for high frequency operations. Unlike the traditional NRZ³ interface which uses two levels to transmit data, the new PAM3 system employs three levels, enabling a higher data transmission rate for improved performance.

²Pulse amplitude modulation (PAM): A signaling process that encodes a continuous analog signal into discrete analog pulses by representing the signal’s amplitude as a binary number at a specific time.
³Non-return-to-zero (NRZ): A simple signaling interface which sends information over two levels of a signal. As the name suggests, the signal does not return to zero during between bits.

By using three levels to transmit data, PAM3 offers faster data transmission rates than the two-level NRZ interface

To support the required rapid data rate specifications and PAM3 interface, GDDR7 products needed to incorporate several new cutting-edge technologies and design innovations. In addition to these technical challenges, SK hynix also had to overhaul the testing approach it used for GDDR6. During these tests, the company faced difficulties in ensuring the same performance in real-world system environments as it achieved in the device testing phase.

Tasked with devising technological innovations and rethinking its testing approach, SK hynix tapped into its design knowhow, company-wide expertise, and well-established ability to take on new challenges.

Design Innovations, Collaboration, & New Testing Approach to Reach Speed Goals

SK hynix drew from its experience developing GDDR6 and embraced cross-departmental collaboration for GDDR7, enhancing several key design elements and integrating advanced technologies to hit the product’s ambitious speed targets.

In a company-first for a mass-produced DRAM product, SK hynix integrated a T-coil⁴ inductor following multiple tests and evaluations to optimize its metal layers. T-coils improve signal integrity by mitigating high-frequency losses, thereby expanding the data eye margin⁵ and facilitating reliable high-speed data transfer.

⁴T-coil: An inductive circuit commonly used in analog and radio frequency electronics to improve signal integrity and overall circuit performance.
⁵Data eye margin: The safety buffer within a digital signal’s eye diagram, a representation of signal integrity, that ensures reliable data transmission in high-speed communication systems.

SK hynix derived several design innovations to attain GDDR7’s increased speed standards

SK hynix also implemented an established and robust write clock (WCK) framework, a high-speed clock signal dedicated to data input and output operations. This design allows for precise timing control for data transfers, resulting in higher data rates. To maintain stable data transmission at high speeds, the company also increased the number of heat-dissipating substrate layers from four to six and applied EMC⁶ as the packaging material to reduce thermal resistance.

⁶Epoxy Molding Compound (EMC): An essential material for semiconductor packaging that seals chips to protect them from water, heat, and shock damage.

As part of efforts to improve its testing environment and ensure consistent performance, the company put together a specialized taskforce. This team established an evaluation, analysis, and management environment that could ensure consistency between simulation results and actual system implementation. Additionally, the taskforce outlined key design parameters to secure characteristics in system environments and developed circuit schemes for high-speed operation.

Regarding PAM3 testing, SK hynix first confirmed the feasibility of PAM3 operation by producing a test chip. Moreover, the company needed a solution to test PAM3 on existing mass-produced devices which use NRZ signaling. Through collaboration with related departments and test working group activities, the company carried out functional verification and mass production testing of PAM3 using NRZ signaling equipment. This enabled SK hynix to extend GDDR7’s multi-level I/O verification capabilities without requiring completely new testing infrastructure.

Aside from innovations related to improving speed or integrating PAM3 signaling, SK hynix also secured a competitive edge in power efficiency for its GDDR7 by supporting heterogeneous power modes. Through this advancement which allowed the product to function at lower voltages, the company was able to achieve significant power savings.

Redefining Standards in Speed & Power Efficiency

Boasting a rapid data rate and data processing speed, the GDDR7 offers industry-leading specifications

As a result of its strong internal collaboration, ability to overcome technological obstacles, and previous GDDR experience, SK hynix was able to develop the industry-leading GDDR7 in July 2024. The groundbreaking product achieved an industry-leading data rate of 32 Gbps—over 60% faster than the previous generation—which can rise to up to 40 Gbps depending on the circumstances.

When adopted for high-end graphics cards, SK hynix’s GDDR7 offers a data processing speed of more than 1.5 TB per second, equivalent to processing 300 Full HD movies each with a capacity of 5 GB, in a second. Overall, the product offers a 74% reduction in thermal resistance compared with the previous generation.

In addition to improved speed and heat dissipation, SK hynix enhanced the product’s power efficiency by more than 50% compared with the previous generation. This is particularly crucial to ensure GDDR7 can maintain its high performance for demanding applications such as AI while minimizing energy consumption.

These performance breakthroughs position SK hynix’s GDDR7 as the world’s highest-spec GDDR7. The development ensured SK hynix not only advanced the product’s characteristics but also established high-speed features that will benefit other DRAM products, such as mobile memory, bolstering its leadership in high-speed solutions.

Rulebreaker Interview: Jinyoup Cha, Graphic Design

The SK hynix Newsroom spoke with Jinyoup Cha, team leader of Graphic Design, a team in the DRAM Design department responsible for designing graphic DRAMs, to learn more about the company’s innovative approach to GDDR development. Having led the design of GDDR7, Cha is well-positioned to discuss the challenges of continually improving speed characteristics and the goals for next-generation GDDR memory.

<Other articles from this series>

[Rulebreakers’ Revolutions] How MR-MUF’s Heat Control Breakthrough Elevated HBM to New Heights

[Rulebreakers’ Revolutions] How SK hynix Broke Barriers in Mobile DRAM Scaling With World-First HKMG Application

[Rulebreakers’ Revolutions] Innovative Design Scheme Helps HBM3E Reach New Heights

[Rulebreakers’ Revolutions] How SK hynix’s Server DRAM Validation Process Succeeds in a Diverse Server CPU Market

[Rulebreakers’ Revolutions] Flexible & Collaborative eSSD Virtualization Development for Today’s Data Centers

The post [Rulebreakers’ Revolutions] How SK hynix’s Design Innovations Pushed GDDR7 to New Limits of Speed first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

• Industry’s best-performing graphics memory with improvement of 60% in speed, 50% in power efficiency to be mass produced in 3Q24
• GDDR7 processes data equivalent to 300 Full-HD movies in a second when combined with high-end graphics card
• AI, high-performance computing, autonomous vehicles expected to adopt GDDR7

Seoul, July 30, 2024

SK hynix Inc. (or “the company”, www.skhynix.com) announced today that it introduced the industry’s best-performing GDDR7¹, a next-generation graphics memory product.

¹Graphics DDR(GDDR): a standard specification of graphics DRAM defined by the Joint Electron Device Engineering Council (JEDEC) and specialized for processing graphics more quickly. Its generation has shifted from GDDR3, GDDR5, GDDR5X, GDDR6 to GDDR7. With the newer generation promising faster speed and higher power efficiency, GDDR has now become one of the most popular memory chips for AI.

The development of GDDR7 in March comes amid growing interest by global customers in the AI space in the DRAM product that meets both specialized performance for graphics processing and fast speed. The company said that it will start volume production in the third quarter.

The new product comes with the operating speed of 32Gbps, a 60% improvement from the previous generation and the speed can grow up to 40Gbps depending on the circumstances. When adopted for the high-end graphics cards, the product can also process data of more than 1.5TB per second, equivalent to 300 Full-HD movies(5GB each), in a second.

SK hynix also improved power efficiency by more than 50% compared with the previous generation by adopting the new packaging technology that addresses the heat issue as a result of the ultra-fast processing of data.

The company increased the layer number of the heat-dissipating substrates from four to six, while applying the EMC² for the packaging material in a bid to reduce thermal resistance³ by 74%, compared with the previous generation, while maintaining the size of the product unchanged.

²Epoxy Molding Compound (EMC): an essential material for semiconductor packaging that protects chips from various external conditions such as water, heat, shock and charge by sealing them.
³Thermal Resistance: a measurement of a material’s resistance to heat transfer that is expressed in the temperature generated by a watt. A lower thermal resistance means better heat-dissipation efficiency as heat is dissipated more easily when a different temperature is applied.

Sangkwon Lee, Head of DRAM Product Planning & Enablement at SK hynix, said that GDDR7 is expected to be adopted by a wider range of applications such as high-specification 3D graphics, AI, high-performance computing and autonomous driving.

“We will continue to work towards enhancing our position as the most trusted AI memory solution provider by strengthening the premium memory lineup further,” Lee said.

About SK hynix Inc.

SK hynix Inc., headquartered in Korea, is the world’s top tier semiconductor supplier offering Dynamic Random Access Memory chips (“DRAM”), flash memory chips (“NAND flash”) and CMOS Image Sensors (“CIS”) for a wide range of distinguished customers globally. The Company’s shares are traded on the Korea Exchange, and the Global Depository shares are listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. Further information about SK hynix is available at www.skhynix.com, news.skhynix.com.

Media Contact

SK hynix Inc.
Global Public Relations

Technical Leader
Kanga Kong
E-Mail: global_newsroom@skhynix.com

Technical Leader
Sooyeon Lee
E-Mail: global_newsroom@skhynix.com

The post SK hynix Enhances Leadership in Graphics Memory With Introduction of Industry’s Best GDDR7 first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

Figure 1. SK hynix’s exhibition booth at the conference

Showcasing the Industry’s Highest Standard of AI Memory

The AI revolution has continued to pick up pace as AI technologies spread their reach into various industries. In response, SK hynix is developing AI memory solutions capable of handling the vast amounts of data and processing power required by AI. At GTC 2024, the company is displaying some of these products, including its 12-layer HBM3E and Compute Express Link (CXL)¹, under the slogan “Memory, The Power of AI”.

¹Compute Express Link (CXL): A PCIe-based next-generation interconnect protocol on which high-performance computing systems are based.

Figure 2. HBM3E, the highest-specification DRAM for AI applications

HBM3E, the fifth generation of HBM², is the highest-specification DRAM for AI applications on the market. It offers the industry’s highest capacity of 36 gigabytes (GB), a processing speed of 1.18 terabytes (TB) per second, and exceptional heat dissipation, making it particularly suitable for AI systems. On March 19, SK hynix announced it had become the first in the industry to mass-produce HBM3E.

²High Bandwidth Memory (HBM): A high-value, high-performance product that possesses much higher data processing speeds compared to existing DRAMs by vertically connecting multiple DRAMs with through-silicon via (TSV).

Figure 3. CXL and GDDR7 are set to become key components of AI systems

Displayed alongside HBM3E is CXL, a standardized interface that increases the efficiency of utilizing CPUs, GPUs, accelerators, and memory. CXL is renowned for its ability to expand memory and improve the performance of AI applications. It is therefore set to play a key role in the AI era along with HBM3E. Visitors to SK hynix’s booth can also check out some never-before-seen products, including the next-generation GDDR7 DRAM specialized for video and graphics processing. Compared to its predecessor GDDR6, the latest GDDR³ product offers double the maximum bandwidth (128 GB per second), a 40% improvement in power efficiency, and enhanced visuals due to its expanded memory density. Set to be used in graphics cards and GPUs, GDDR7 will be integral for AI and advanced technologies which require rapid and large-capacity data processing.

³Graphics DDR (GDDR): A standard specification of graphics DRAM defined by the Joint Electron Device Engineering Council (JEDEC) and specialized for processing graphics more quickly. Its generation shifted from GDDR3, GDDR5 and GDDR5X to GDDR6. It’s now one of the most popular memory chips for AI and big data applications.

Figure 4. A PCB01-based consumer SSD customized for AI

SK hynix also revealed a new consumer product based on its industry-leading Gen 5 solid-state drive (SSD), PCB01. SK hynix plans to complete development of PCB01 in the first half of 2024 and launch two versions which target large technology companies and general consumers by the end of the year.

Technological Insights, Leadership & Collaboration in the AI Era

Figure 5. Technical Leader Seoyeong Jeong talks about the outlook of the HBM market

During the conference, SK hynix also hosted sessions on key AI memory technologies. These included a presentation by Technical Leader Seoyeong Jeong of HBM Marketing which covered the market outlook for HBM and emphasized the importance of memory solutions in the AI era.

Through its activities at GTC 2024, SK hynix underlined its leadership in the AI memory sector. Looking ahead, the company will continue to realize technological breakthroughs and advance AI technology.

The post NVIDIA GTC 2024: SK hynix Presents the Future of AI Memory Solutions first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.