Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., the world leader in advanced memory technology, announced that it is now mass producing the industry’s first ePoP (embedded package on package) memory – a single memory package consisting of 3GB LPDDR3* DRAM, 32GB eMMC (embedded multi-media card) and a controller. For use in high-end smartphones, the extremely thin ePoP combines all essential memory components into a single package that can be stacked directly on top of the mobile processor, without taking any additional space – a distinct improvement over existing two-package eMCP memory solutions.
“By offering our new high-density ePoP memory for flagship smartphones, Samsung expects to provide its customers with significant design benefits, while enabling faster and longer operation of multi-tasking features,” Jeeho Baek, Senior Vice President of Memory Marketing at Samsung Electronics. “We plan to expand our line-up of ePoP memory with packages involving enhancements in performance and density over the next few years, to further add to the growth of premium mobile market.”
The new ePoP provides an ideal “one-package” memory solution, satisfying the market needs for high speed, high energy efficiency and compactness. The 3GB LPDDR3 mobile DRAM inside the ePoP operates at an I/O data transfer rate of 1,866Mb/s, and sports a 64-bit I/O bandwidth.
When it comes to design efficiency, the ePoP memory saves a significant amount of space, enabling smartphone manufacturers to use the space for components like the battery pack. Because of its thinness and special heat-resistant properties, Samsung’s smartphone ePoP does not need any space beyond the 225 square millimeters (15x15mm) taken up by the mobile application processor. A conventional PoP (also 15mm x 15mm), consisting of the mobile processor and DRAM, along with a separate eMMC (11.5mm x 13mm) package, takes up 374.5 square millimeters. Replacing that set-up with a Samsung ePoP decreases the total area used by approximately 40 percent.
The single-package configuration also meets the semiconductor package height ceiling of 1.4 millimeters (mm).
OEMs can use Samsung’s ePoP memory for a wide range of mobile devices. Samsung already has been offering a similar single-package solution for wearable devices, referred to as “wearable memory”. The new configuration for phones can be easily customized not only for use in flagship smartphones but also in other sophisticated mobile devices such as high-end tablets, in collaboration with global mobile companies.
