- Intel and SoftBank are collaborating to develop the next generation of 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 surpass today’s high-bandwidth memory in capacity and efficiency.
The reports claim that the architecture builds on Intel’s previous Next Generation DRAM Bonding research, which demonstrated functional multilayer DRAM stacks during a US-backed research program.
Claims about capacity, effect and costs
Prototypes are reportedly expected in early 2028, with commercial availability planned for 2029.
Saimemory aims for 2 to 3 times the capacity of current HBM products, while reducing power consumption by approx. 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 about 3 billion yen (about $19 million) in the prototype phase, with Intel contributing technology rather than capital.
The memory is aimed at large-scale AI data center deployments, where bandwidth density and energy consumption 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 dependence 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, the established suppliers are expected to have moved further into newer HBM generations.
SoftBank executives’ push for a priority offering shows that the project remains at an early stage, and technical ambition alone cannot overcome scale, yield and ecosystem challenges.
As interesting as this sounds, it’s hard to forget Intel’s Optane and 3D XPoint story, which ended in clear financial losses rather than sustained adoption.
In July 2022, Intel closed its Optane memory business and recorded a $559 million inventory write-off, formally acknowledging the technology’s failure.
Micron, which inherited parts of the former DRAM ecosystem through Elpida after its bankruptcy in 2012, 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 in write-offs.
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