Every Digital Device, from a Simple Digital Clock to the Largest Mainframe Computer,
Needs Memory for the Operation of its CPU.
This memory serves as the temporary storage space that the CPU uses to perform its computations and calculations. Usually, the larger the amount of this memory, the larger the flexibility for the CPU to perform its operations.
Memory technology has greatly advanced, starting from the Read-Only Memory (ROM), Static Random-Access Memory (SRAM), Dynamic Random-Access Memory (DRAM), and flash memory, among others. Commercially, DRAM has been the most widely deployed and adopted memory, because of its increasingly high speeds of operation, low power consumption, and sustained data transfer rates. Double Data Rate (DDR) and its higher-end derivatives, DDR2 and DDR3, are considered the industry standard commercial versions of DRAM memory.
With Samsung's expertise in semiconductor memory and experience in delivering next-generation memory technologies, Samsung is well positioned to provide memory solutions across a diverse range of devices, such as desktops, laptops, and servers.
Recent advancements in semiconductor design, development, and fabrication processes have enabled the development of high-performance DRAM memory, making the design of devices and applications such as ultra-thin laptops possible.
As the above illustration shows, several important aspects of a laptop, such as physical thickness, battery life, internal storage device used, and the form-factor of the memory modules employed inside, continue to show impressive improvements, resulting in improved overall performances for laptops.
New concepts, such as cloud computing, which have introduced computing as a service rather than a product, are one of the biggest beneficiaries of the developments in computing DRAM. A typical cloud computing network is illustrated below.
Schematic of the concept of Cloud Computing
As the illustration shows, cloud computing consists of several connected internetworks, such as servers and server farms, home computers, consumer electronic devices with networking capabilities, and open source networks consisting of devices and software that are free for anyone to use and modify.
Progressive Developments in DRAM Memory have resulted in Newer Versions Operating
at Lower Voltages, Resulting in Increasing Levels of Power Savings.
The next illustration shows that DDR2, fabricated using 80-nm technology and operating at 1.8V made way for DDR3, operating at 1.25V at its lowest point and fabricated using 20-nm class technology. DDR4, the next variant in the pipeline scheduled for a 2012 release, is expected to operate at voltages as low as 1.2V, while providing twice the bandwidth of DDR3.
Developments in DDR memory technology
Bandwidth, which is the maximum data handling capacity per second for a memory storage device, has also gradually improved for DRAM memory, starting with DDR1 and steadily increasing for later revisions, as illustrated below.
Progressively increasing data rates within DDR memory
Samsung's fastest and highest performance DDR3 memory in use today - a dual channel, 128-bit, 1.6Gb/s memory module - offers a throughput of more than 25.6GB/s. These numbers will continue to improve with every evolving generation of DRAM memory.
The latest generation memory is not just faster, but also highly power-efficient, containing dedicated on-board power-management features to reduce power consumption during the memory's idle cycles. Samsung has always led the way in providing energy-efficient and environmentally friendly memory solutions, with a strong focus on conserving energy and reducing global carbon footprints.
Samsung's latest 20-nm class DDR3 memory solutions enable power savings of 67% for the memory, as compared to the existing 50-nm class DDR3 solutions. When deployed in a standard server with 96GB of memory (commonly referred to as a 96GB server), this translates into huge savings.
Samsung's fastest and highest performance DDR3 memory in use today - a dual channel, 128-bit, 1.6Gb/s memory module - offers a throughput of more than 25.6GB/s. These numbers will continue to improve with every evolving generation of DRAM memory.
The latest generation memory is not just faster, but also highly power-efficient, containing dedicated on-board power-management features to reduce power consumption during the memory's idle cycles. Samsung has always led the way in providing energy-efficient and environmentally friendly memory solutions, with a strong focus on conserving energy and reducing global carbon footprints.
Samsung's latest 20-nm class DDR3 memory solutions enable power savings of 67% for the memory, as compared to the existing 50-nm class DDR3 solutions. When deployed in a standard server with 96GB of memory (commonly referred to as a 96GB server), this translates into huge savings.
For the overall system, this migration to 20-nm class DDR3 memory translates into a 15% saving in power, as illustrated below.
Memory and overall system power savings achieved by using 20-nm DDR3 memory
Key Features
The key features of Samsung's computing DRAM are summarized in the table below.
| DDR | DDR2 | DDR3 | DDR4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data Rate | 200 to 400Mbps | 400 to 800Mbps | 800 to 1,866Mbps | 1600 to 3200Mbps |
| VDD/VDDQ | 2.5V ± 0.2V | 1.8V ± 0.1V 1.55V ± 0.1V |
1.5V (1.425V to 1.575V) 1.35V (1.28V to 1.45V) 1.25V (1.19V to 1.31V) |
1.2V (1.14V to 1.26V) |
| Package | 66-ball TSOP2 60-ball BGA |
60-ball BGA for x4/x8 84-ball BGA for x16 |
78-ball BGA for x4/x8 96-ball BGA for x16 |
78-ball BGA for x4/x8 96-ball BGA for x16 |
| Source Sync | Bi-directional DQS (Single ended default) |
Bi-directional DQS (Single ended/ Differential option) |
Bi-directional DQS (Differential default) |
Bi-directional DQS (Differential default) |
| Burst Length | 2, 4, 8 (2 bits Prefetch) |
4, 8 (4 bits Prefetch) |
BC4, BL = 8 (8 bits Prefetch) |
BC4, BL = 8 (8 bits Prefetch) |
| No. of Banks | 4 banks | 512Mb : 4 banks 1Gb : 8 banks |
1Gb/2Gb/4Gb/8Gb : 8 banks |
4Gb/8Gb/16Gb : 16 banks |
| Reset | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| ODT | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Driver Calibration | No | Off-chip driver calibration | Self calibration with ZQ Pin |
Self calibration with ZQ Pin |
| Module Type | R-DIMM U-DIMM SoDIMM |
FB-DIMM R-DIMM VLP R-DIMM U-DIMM SoDIMM |
LRDIMM R-DIMM VLP R-DIMM U-DIMM SoDIMM |
LRDIMM R-DIMM U-DIMM SoDIMM |
| Density | 1/2/4/8GB | 1/2/4/8GB | 1/2/4/8/16/32GB | 4/8/16/32/64/128GB |
It should be noted that the key features of DRAM memory are high performance with less power consumption, high data rates (up to 1,866Mbps) per pin, very low operating voltages, and built-in mechanisms such as DQ shielding, self-calibration, and fly-by topology for better signal control.
Benefits
The key benefits of using Samsung DRAM memory include :
-
Less power consumption :
Present generation DRAM memory, such as DDR2 and DDR3, operate at very low voltages, significantly reducing the power consumption and extending the usable duration in battery-powered devices, such as portable computers. -
Higher speeds and bandwidths :
The latest generations of DDR memory is able to operate at clock rates in excess of 1GHz, providing data rates as high as 1,866Mbps, smartly leveraged upon by today's high-end and high-speed processors. -
Small form-factors and physical sizes :
Using increasingly dense fabrication processes (such as the latest 20-nm process used for DDR3), memory chips with progressively higher capacities are being fabricated, reducing not only the count for the number of chips going into the end product, but also reclaiming board space that previous generation chips would otherwise occupy within the product.
Applications
The application areas for DRAM memory are vast, and cover almost every device that is capable of being interconnected and networked. The illustration below shows a snapshot of the various application segments for DRAM memory.
Applications and application areas for DRAM memory
-
Desktop :
DRAM is the standard and default memory used in today's computing devices. The latest generation devices use the fastest versions of DRAM memory, whereas devices from a slightly earlier era use slower versions. -
Mobile devices :
Advanced mobile devices of today use a type of DRAM memory designed specifically for use on the mobile platform. This type of memory is known as Mobile DRAM and is designed with reduced power consumption as its principal goal. -
Servers and workstations :
Servers running 24 x 7 and expected to provide uninterrupted services to users all employ DRAM as their standard memory. The same is true for powerful workstations, intended for specific purposes, such as weather forecasting.
As can be inferred from the information above, DRAM will continue to remain the dominant memory in use, primarily because of its density and lower power consumption. Within DRAM, DDR will continue to be the most widely deployed, broadly adopted, and constantly evolving technology.
Samsung's expertise in memory technologies and worldwide leadership in the semiconductor space will ensure that Samsung continues to remain at the forefront of every development in this exciting journey.
