Samsung Unveils Next-Generation AI Memory Innovations at FMS 2026
Samsung Electronics, a global leader in advanced memory technology, showcased its latest breakthroughs in AI memory and storage at the Future of Memory and Storage (FMS) 2026 event in Santa Clara, California. Leveraging its extensive expertise across DRAM, NAND, enterprise storage, and advanced semiconductor technologies, Samsung introduced a comprehensive portfolio designed to power the future of AI infrastructure.
Revolutionizing AI Memory Architecture with zHBM and zNAND-O
At FMS 2026, Samsung revealed concept models for zHBM and zNAND-O, signaling a new era in 3D memory architecture. The zHBM (zero-height High Bandwidth Memory) architecture vertically stacks HBM directly above AI accelerators, a significant departure from traditional side-by-side configurations. This innovative design minimizes data travel distance, resulting in higher bandwidth and improved power efficiency—critical for large-scale AI training and inference.
Samsung’s next-generation zHBM interface is projected to deliver up to eight times the performance of HBM5. Utilizing advanced wafer bonding technology, zHBM achieves over ten times the memory density of HBM5, enhances energy efficiency by threefold, and reduces thermal resistance by more than half. These advancements maximize both stability and power efficiency in high-capacity, high-bandwidth AI systems.
zHBM also supports customer-specific designs, allowing for customized IP integration between the memory and AI accelerator. This flexibility enables expanded memory capacity and enhanced accelerator performance, tailored to the unique requirements of AI workloads.
Complementing zHBM, Samsung introduced zNAND-O, a next-generation high-performance NAND solution based on its V-NAND technology. Available in four- and eight-layer versions, zNAND-O combines high space efficiency, improved I/O performance, and low latency, making it ideal for edge AI environments and real-time, data-intensive applications.
Industry-First V10 BV-NAND: Pushing the Boundaries of Storage Density
Samsung also unveiled V10 BV-NAND, the industry’s first NAND architecture enabled by new wafer bonding technology. Thirteen years after pioneering V-NAND technology, Samsung’s V10 BV-NAND features over 400 layers, delivering significant gains in performance, power efficiency, and storage density. The application of wafer bonding technology has increased memory density by approximately 58% compared to the previous V9 generation.
Beyond increased layer count, V10 BV-NAND offers improved read, write, and I/O performance, supporting the demands of high-performance, high-capacity NAND for next-generation AI systems and applications.
Comprehensive AI Memory and Storage Roadmap
Samsung’s FMS 2026 showcase included its latest AI memory and storage solutions, such as HBM4E, HBM5, LPDDR5X-PIM, and PM1763. The company highlighted its leadership in high-bandwidth memory by being the first to mass-produce HBM4 using 1c DRAM and 4-nanometer base die technologies, and by shipping HBM4E samples to global customers.
Samsung also presented LPDDR5X-PIM, the industry’s first LPDDR memory with processing-in-memory (PIM) technology. This innovation enables data processing within the memory itself, improving both data movement and power efficiency—key factors for AI and high-performance computing.
In addition, Samsung displayed its latest enterprise storage solutions, including PM1763 and BM1773, engineered to meet the escalating storage requirements of AI-driven data centers.
Integrated Turnkey Solutions for AI Infrastructure
As the only integrated device manufacturer (IDM) with leading capabilities in memory, foundry, and advanced packaging, Samsung presented its end-to-end strategy for next-generation AI infrastructure. The company’s one-stop turnkey solutions span from product design to mass production, offering integrated development and manufacturing services that accelerate development cycles and optimize both performance and power efficiency.
