Intel Partners with SoftBank Subsidiary to Develop Next-Gen Stacked Memory: INTC

[Para 1: The Lead] Intel (INTC-US) today announced a collaboration with SoftBank Group subsidiary SAIMEMORY to jointly develop the Z-Angle Memory (ZAM) technology, a next-generation memory solution aimed at meeting the growing demands of AI and High-Performance Computing (HPC). The partnership is set to launch operations in Q1 2026, with prototype products expected by 2027 and commercialization by 2030. [Para 2-3: Supporting details & Context] SAIMEMORY, headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is advancing a stackable DRAM architecture, surpassing current High Bandwidth Memory standards. This innovation significantly boosts memory capacity, reduces power consumption, and enhances packaging capabilities, addressing bottlenecks in AI system scalability. Intel, as a technology, innovation, and standardization partner, will contribute its expertise in next-generation DRAM bonding (NGDB) to optimize performance and lower energy consumption. SAIMEMORY will lead the commercialization of the ZAM project, building on the foundation of the Advanced Memory Technology (AMT) research program, originally funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), and supported by national labs such as Sandia National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and Los Alamos National Laboratory.