- Intel and SoftBank are collaborating to develop next-generation stacked Z-Angle Memory
- Prototypes are expected in 2028, with commercial rollout planned for 2029
- Power consumption is expected to drop 40 to 50% compared to HBM
Intel and SoftBank-backed Saimemory have confirmed a partnership to develop Z-Angle Memory, a stacked DRAM architecture intended for AI and high-performance computing workloads.
Reports from Nikkei Asia and Wallstreet.cn describe the technology as a vertical memory design that aims to exceed today’s high-bandwidth memory in capacity and efficiency.
The reports claim the architecture builds on Intel’s earlier Next Generation DRAM Bonding research, which demonstrated functional multi-layer DRAM stacks under a US-backed research program.
Claims around capacity, power, and cost
Prototypes are reportedly expected by early 2028, with commercial availability planned for 2029.
Saimemory aims for 2 to 3x the capacity of current HBM products while cutting power consumption by roughly 40 to 50%.
It says a core requirement for this technology is cost competitiveness, although no pricing details have been disclosed.
SoftBank is reportedly investing around 3 billion yen (about $19 million) during the prototype phase, with Intel contributing technology rather than capital.
The memory targets large-scale AI data center deployments, where bandwidth density and energy usage increasingly affect operating costs.
For Intel, the collaboration signals renewed involvement in advanced memory development after it left the DRAM business decades ago.
The effort also aligns with broader attempts to regain relevance across critical semiconductor segments while expanding foundry operations.
For SoftBank, the project supports ambitions to strengthen domestic semiconductor capabilities and reduce reliance on South Korean suppliers.
Japan once dominated global DRAM production, but it exited the market as competitors consolidated power, leaving a long gap that Saimemory now aims to address.
The 2029 commercialization target places Z-Angle Memory several product cycles behind Samsung and SK Hynix, which already dominate HBM supply.
By the time Saimemory reaches volume production, incumbent vendors are expected to have advanced further into newer HBM generations.
SoftBank executives’ push for priority supply shows the project remains at an early stage, and technical ambition alone cannot overcome scale, yield, and ecosystem challenges.
As interesting as this sounds, it is hard to forget Intel’s Optane and 3D XPoint history, which ended with clear financial losses rather than sustained adoption.
In July 2022, Intel shut down its Optane memory business and recorded a $559 million inventory write-off, formally acknowledging the failure of the technology.
Micron, which inherited parts of the earlier DRAM ecosystem through Elpida after its 2012 bankruptcy, was also affected by the broader collapse of alternative memory strategies.
Z-Angle Memory is technically distinct, yet it enters a market where previous claims of architectural disruption resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars written off.
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