Samsung mass-produces the latest mobile phone flash memory solution Multi-chip package uMCP based on LPDDR5 and UFS

On June 16, Samsung Electronics announced that it will begin mass production of its latest smartphone memory solution in June, which is a multi-chip package uMCP based on LPDDR5 and UFS. Samsung's uMCP integrates the fastest LPDDR5DRAM and the latest UFS3.1NAND flash memory.

In terms of capacity, this series of products can provide memory capacity from 6GB to 12GB, and flash memory capacity from 128GB to 512GB.

In terms of performance, LPDDR5 can support a read and write speed of 25GB/s, which is 1.5 times faster than the previous LPDDR4X; UFS3.1 can support a read and write speed of 3GB/s, which is twice that of UFS 2.2.

Compared with previous solutions based on LPDDR4x DRAM and UFS 2.2 NAND flash memory, DRAM performance has increased by 50%, from 17GB/s to 25GB/s, and NAND flash memory performance has doubled, from 1.5GB/s to 3GB/s. s, making flagship performance possible.

Samsung's uMCP also helps maximize the space utilization of mobile phones. Its DRAM and NAND flash memory are integrated into a compact package measuring only 11.5 mm x 13 mm, leaving more room for other functions. The DRAM capacity of the new solution ranges from 6GB to 12GB, and the storage capacity ranges from 128GB to 512GB. It can be customized to meet the different needs of 5G smartphones in the entire mid-to-high-end market.

Young-Soo Sohn, Vice President of Samsung ElectronicsDRAM Division, said: Samsungs multi-chip packaging based on LPDDR5 UFS is built on the advancement of our memory and packaging technology, allowing consumers to enjoy uninterrupted streaming even when using low-end devices. , Games and mixed reality experience. As devices that support 5G networks become mainstream, this latest multi-chip packaging technology is expected to accelerate the markets transition to 5G networks and help virtual reality technology be introduced into our daily lives more quickly. "

Samsung has completed compatibility tests with several global smartphone manufacturers, and it is expected that devices equipped with uMCP will begin to enter the market this month.

Micron and SK Hynix are also actively developing uMCP

In terms of uMCP, Microns development is currently the most active. In 2020, it will be the first to introduce LPDDR5 into uMCP. In October, uMCP5 has been mass-produced. It is a multi-chip package of high-performance LPDDR5 and high-capacity UFS 3.1. Launched the upgraded product of uMCP4 (LPDDR4X and UFS package).

Micron uMCP5 can provide 128GB UFS 3.1+8GB LPDDR5, 128GB UFS 3.1+12GB LPDDR5, 256GB UFS 3.1+8GB LPDDR5 and 256GB UFS 3.1+12GB LPDDR5 capacity options.

SK Hynix also has research on uMCP. Currently, it can provide uMCP products in 4GB/8GB/6GB LPDDR4X+64GB/128GB UFS2.1 packages. Later, it will combine LPDDR5 and UFS to provide uMCP products with 12GB LPDDR5+256GB UFS or above.

uMCP is expected to replace eMCP as the best solution for the popularization of 5G mobile phones in the low-end market

The multi-chip packaged uMCP solution launched by Samsung, Micron, and SK Hynix is ​​expected to replace eMCP as the best solution for the popularization of 5G mobile phones in the low-end market. It will meet the growing performance and capacity requirements of the mobile market and achieve closeness. The same performance as high-end flagship smartphones.

eMCP is eMMC (NAND Flash+control chip) and low-power DRAM packaged together. In the early smartphones, the mainstream storage solution is NAND MCP. SLC NAND Flash and low-power DRAM are packaged together, which has the advantages of low production cost. . As smartphones have higher requirements for storage capacity and performance, especially with the widespread popularity of the Android operating system, and mobile phone manufacturers pre-installed a large number of programs and software, the demand for large capacity is increasing.

Compared with the traditional MCP, eMCP can not only increase the storage capacity and meet the large-capacity requirements of mobile phones but also the embedded control chip can reduce the computing burden of the main CPU, thereby simplifying and better managing large-capacity NAND Flash chips. And save the space of the mobile phone motherboard.

eMCP is favored by low-end customers and is still widely used in low-end mobile phones. The main reason is that eMCP has the advantage of high integration, including eMMC and low-power DRAM chips, which can simplify the mobile phone PCB for terminal manufacturers. The circuit design of the board shortens the shipping cycle.

Secondly, eMCP encapsulates eMMC and low-power DRAM. Compared to eMMC and mobile DRAM, the price is lower than that of separately purchased. It is helpful for low-end mobile phones to reduce costs, especially in the first two years of NAND Flash and DRAM. The period of DRAM price increase is more favorable for trading and bargaining.

uMCP is based on the extension of eMCP. The emergence of uMCP is to comply with the development trend of eMMC to UFS and meet the development of 5G mobile phones in the future.

High-end smartphones are based on high-performance requirements. The CPU processor needs to communicate with DRAM at high frequency. Therefore, high-end flagship mobile phone customers prefer to use CPU and LPDDR for POP packaging, discrete eMMC or UFS storage solutions, so the circuit design is simple It can alleviate the difficulty for engineers to design PCB, reduce the interference of CPU and DRAM communication signals, and improve the performance of terminal products. As a result, the difficulty of production will increase, and the production cost will also increase.

The development of 5G mobile phones will continue to infiltrate from high-end phones to low-end phones to achieve full popularity. It also puts forward higher requirements for large-capacity and high-performance. uMCP is to comply with the development trend of eMMC to UFS.

The full name of eMMC is "embedded Multi-Media Card", established by the MMC Association. UFS is called "Universal Flash Storage" and it is established by JEDEC, the Solid State Technology Association. Compared with eMMC, UFS has the advantage of using a high-speed serial interface instead of a traditional parallel interface and switching to a full-duplex mode. The faster UFS is the successor of eMMC.

At present, UFS 3.0 is the latest specification. The single-channel bandwidth can reach 11.6Gbps, and the theoretical maximum of dual-channel bidirectional bandwidth is 23.2Gbps. Samsung, Kioxia, etc. have mass-produced UFS 3.0 products, Samsung Note10, Meizu 16T, iQOO Neo 855, etc. Continuously equipped with UFS 3.0 to improve the application experience of mobile phones.

uMCP combines LPDDR and UFS, which not only has high performance and large capacity but also reduces the space occupied by PoP + discrete eMMC or UFS solutions by 40%, reduces the memory chip occupation, and realizes a more flexible system design. High-density, low-power storage solutions designed for smartphones.