SK hynix announced that it has developed PIM*, a next-generation memory chip with computing capabilities.

It has been generally accepted that memory chips store data and CPU or GPU, like a human brain, processes data. SK hynix, following its challenge to such notion and efforts to pursue innovation in the next-generation smart memory, has found a breakthrough solution with the development of the latest technology.

SK hynix plans to showcase its PIM development at the world’s most prestigious semiconductor conference, 2022 ISSCC*, in San Francisco at the end of this month. The company expects continued efforts for innovation of this technology to bring memory-centric computing, in which semiconductor memory plays a central role, a step closer to the reality in devices such as smartphones.

For the first product that adopts the PIM technology, SK hynix has developed a sample of GDDR6-AiM (Accelerator* in memory). The GDDR6-AiM adds computational functions to GDDR6* memory chips, which process data at 16Gbps. A combination of GDDR6-AiM with CPU or GPU instead of a typical DRAM makes a certain computation speed 16 times faster. GDDR6-AiM is widely expected to be adopted for machine learning, high-performance computing, and big data computation and storage.

GDDR6-AiM runs on 1.25V, lower than the existing product’s operating voltage of 1.35V. In addition, the PIM reduces data movement to the CPU and GPU, reducing power consumption by 80%. This, accordingly, helps SK hynix meet its commitment to ESG management by reducing carbon emissions of the devices that adopt this product.

SK hynix also plans to introduce a technology that combines GDDR6-AiM with AI chips in collaboration with SAPEON Inc., an AI chip company that recently spun off from SK Telecom.