Episode 36: The Wide World of Memory
Steven Woo, a Fellow at Rambus, explains the fundamental differences between memory and logic, detailing how DRAM innovation is measured by capacity and bandwidth rather than process nodes. He discusses the specific challenges of High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) for AI training, including stacking and power efficiency, and contrasts this with the cost constraints of standard DDR. The conversation covers the massive capital expenditures required for memory fabs, the role of chiplets in increasing package complexity, and the emerging competitive landscape involving Chinese manufacturer CXMT.