Samsung develops HBM for smartphones

Samsung Electronics is reportedly working on a mobile version of high-bandwidth memory, or HBM, for smartphones and tablets as device makers push more artificial intelligence processing onto handsets. A May 15 report from TrendForce, citing ETNews, said Samsung is developing a packaging approach called “Multi Stacked FOWLP” to raise memory bandwidth without the size and power penalties associated with server-class HBM. Samsung has not publicly announced a smartphone HBM product. The reporting points instead to an internal development effort aimed at easing a bottleneck that has become more visible as on-device AI models demand faster access to memory. ### What exactly is Samsung said to be building? TrendForce said Samsung is developing a packaging technology that combines ultra-high-aspect-ratio copper pillars with fan-out wafer level packaging, or FOWLP. ETNews, as cited by TrendForce, described the project as an extension of Samsung’s existing Vertical Cu-post Stack, or VCS, technology rather than a direct transplant of data-center HBM into a phone. (trendforce.com) Wccftech, also citing ETNews, reported that Samsung intends to use the approach first with Exynos mobile chips. That report said the packaging would be tailored for smartphones and tablets, where board space, heat and battery limits are tighter than in AI servers. ### Why is memory packaging the issue in phones? Samsung’s current mobile memory lineup is centered on LPDDR5X, which the company says reaches data rates of up to 10.7 gigabits per second and is designed for on-device AI applications with about 25% better power efficiency than the prior generation. (trendforce.com) Samsung also said in August 2024 that it had started mass production of what it called the industry’s thinnest LPDDR5X DRAM packages for on-device AI mobile applications, highlighting thermal control as a selling point. (wccftech.com) TrendForce said the limitation with conventional mobile DRAM packaging is not only raw speed but the number of I/O terminals and signal loss. The firm said traditional LPDDR packaging still relies on copper wire bonding and is generally limited to roughly 128 to 256 I/O terminals, which constrains bandwidth and efficiency as AI workloads grow. (semiconductor.samsung.com) ### How much improvement is being claimed? TrendForce said Samsung has increased the aspect ratio of copper pillars used in VCS packaging from 3-5:1 to 15-20:1. That change, combined with FOWLP support, could allow more I/O terminals in the same area, boosting bandwidth by 15% to 30% and lifting memory stack capacity by more than 1.5 times, according to the report. (trendforce.com) Wccftech cited the same ETNews reporting and said the design could deliver about a 30% increase in bandwidth. The report added that the narrower copper pillars create a mechanical problem because pillars below 10 micrometers are more vulnerable to bending or breakage, which is why the added packaging structure matters. ### What makes this hard to ship in a phone? TrendForce said thinner copper pillars can improve density and bandwidth, but they also become harder to manufacture reliably. (trendforce.com) The report said FOWLP helps by molding the chip and extending wiring outward to support the pillars, which addresses part of the structural problem. Samsung’s own LPDDR5X materials show why that matters in mobile devices. (wccftech.com) The company has emphasized thermal control, low-power operation and package thickness in its current mobile memory products, suggesting that any move toward higher-bandwidth packaging in phones will have to fit within the same heat and battery constraints. That is an inference from Samsung’s public product positioning, not a statement by the company about this unannounced project. (trendforce.com) ### When could it appear in a device? TrendForce said the commercialization timeline is unclear because the technology is still under development. The firm said some industry observers believe it could be adopted in a later version of the Exynos 2800 or in the Exynos 2900. May 2026 reporting also suggests Samsung is balancing this work against heavy demand for conventional HBM used in servers and AI accelerators. (news.samsungsemiconductor.com) TrendForce said some observers expect mobile HBM development to move more slowly because server and data-center HBM remains a larger and more urgent market. Samsung’s next public checkpoint is likely to be future Exynos disclosures or semiconductor packaging announcements rather than a confirmed smartphone launch date. (trendforce.com)