Samsung ships 12-layer HBM4E samples to AI customers

Samsung Electronics has begun shipping samples of its latest high-bandwidth memory chip to major customers, marking an early move in the competitive market for advanced artificial intelligence hardware. The company announced on Friday that it is distributing the industry's first 12-layer HBM4E samples, a next-generation memory product designed for AI data centers and hyperscale computing.

The new chip represents a significant performance upgrade over its predecessor. It offers a stable pin speed of 14 gigabits per second, scalable up to 16 Gbps, which is more than 20 percent faster than the HBM4 Samsung began mass-producing in February. Each memory stack provides up to 3.6 terabytes per second of bandwidth and comes in a 48-gigabyte capacity configuration, offering over 30 percent more memory than the previous generation. The company stated it plans to expand the lineup to include 32GB and 64GB versions based on customer requirements.

Technologically, the HBM4E leverages Samsung's sixth-generation, 10-nanometer-class DRAM process alongside a 4-nanometer logic base die fabricated by Samsung Foundry. The company said this integrated approach improves production stability and...