Kioxia公布3D DRAM细节

Core Viewpoint - Kioxia has developed a highly stackable oxide semiconductor channel transistor technology that supports high-density 3D DRAM, promising lower manufacturing costs per GB and improved energy efficiency through high on-current and ultra-low off-current transistors [2][5]. Group 1: Technology Development - The new technology was showcased at the IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting in San Francisco, demonstrating the operation of transistors stacked in an eight-layer vertical structure [2][5]. - The vertical layers consist of horizontally arranged transistors formed by replacing traditional silicon nitride regions with oxide semiconductor materials like InGaZnO [2][6]. - This design allows for increased memory capacity without relying on traditional planar DRAM structures [2][6]. Group 2: Energy Efficiency and Cost - By reducing refresh power consumption, this design addresses a major limitation of traditional DRAM, where energy consumption increases with memory density [3][4]. - The use of oxide semiconductors instead of single-crystal silicon simplifies the manufacturing process and reduces energy consumption, lowering the manufacturing cost of DRAM per gigabyte [3][4]. - Despite these improvements, retail prices for end-users are not expected to decrease in the short term [3][4]. Group 3: Market Applications and Challenges - The stacked transistor method targets applications requiring high storage density and low power consumption, such as AI servers and IoT devices [3][4]. - The efficiency gains support processing larger data sets without a proportional increase in energy demand, unlike traditional DRAM systems [3][4]. - Transitioning this technology from laboratory demonstration to mass production faces significant challenges, including precise alignment of multilayer materials and ensuring long-term reliability [3][4]. Group 4: Future Prospects - Kioxia plans to continue R&D to achieve practical applications of 3D DRAM, although widespread adoption may take up to a decade [4][5]. - The reduction in manufacturing costs does not guarantee lower retail prices, and large-scale adoption will require overcoming production and supply chain issues [4][5].