ZAM, Intel's new memory receives Japanese public funding: targeting AI and HPC

Intel K.K. and SAIMEMORY, a subsidiary of SoftBank, have announced that the ZAM (Z-Angle Memory) project has been selected by the research and development program of NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization), thus gaining access to public funding.

The initiative falls under the "Post-5G Information and Communication System Infrastructure Enhancement R&D Project," which aims to strengthen key technologies for advanced digital infrastructures. The financial support will cover an accelerated development period of 3.5 years, with the goal of bringing ZAM towards concrete industrial implementation.

ZAM arises as a response to the increasing limitations of current high-performance memories, particularly in the context of AI and HPC, where bandwidth, density, and energy consumption are critical factors. The technology is designed to offer a high-density stacked DRAM architecture, with "Z-Angle" interconnections that enhance efficiency in chip connections.

According to statements made, ZAM aims to reduce energy consumption by 40-50% compared to current solutions while simplifying the production design. Each memory stack is expected to reach capacities of up to 512 GB per chip, with an architecture that provides integration through EMIB interconnection with the main processor.

Technologically, ZAM is based on years of research developed by Intel under the Advanced Memory Technology (AMT) program in the United States, supported by the Department of Energy and national laboratories such as Sandia, Lawrence Livermore, and Los Alamos. In particular, the project leverages the results of the Next Generation DRAM Bonding (NGDB) initiative, which has demonstrated improvements in density, bandwidth, latency, and power consumption.

SAIMEMORY will play a central role in the industrialization phase, while Intel will contribute intellectual property and engineering expertise. The project will also involve a network of technology, manufacturing, and supply chain partners both in Japan and internationally, aiming to support large-scale production.

The initiative also assumes broader strategic value as it strengthens collaboration between the United States and Japan in the field of advanced semiconductors. Notably, Intel emphasizes how this development may accelerate the path toward global dissemination of the technology.

Furthermore, ZAM represents a symbolic return for Intel to the memory market, a sector where the company had a significant role in the early stages of its history before gradually exiting under pressure from Asian manufacturers. Today, thanks to collaboration with Japanese partners, Intel aims to re-enter a segment considered increasingly strategic in the age of artificial intelligence.