Intel Announces ZAM — A New Energy-Efficient Alternative to HBM

Intel has announced a strategic partnership with Japan's SoftBank Group, and as part of this collaboration, the company will, for the first time since 1985, engage in manufacturing memory modules by developing a fundamentally new technology called Z-Angle Memory (ZAM). The partnership aims to address the growing memory shortage, as SoftBank is building large-scale data center infrastructure in Japan for AI tasks, and the new memory is intended to be a key component for it.

Z-Angle Memory technology is positioned as an alternative to the HBM standard. Its main difference is a unique connection topology: instead of traditional vertical interconnects, ZAM uses a Z-shaped (diagonal or stepped) layout. Preliminary data suggests this allows for up to 512 GB per chip, which is 2-3 times the capacity of existing HBM solutions.

ZAM is expected to consume 40–50% less energy and could be cheaper to manufacture thanks to its innovative connection scheme and the use of hybrid copper assembly. For integration with processors, Intel's proprietary EMIB (Embedded Multi-Die Interconnect Bridge) technology will be used to reduce latency.

This project is part of the Advanced Memory Technology (AMT) initiative, supported by the U.S. Department of Energy. For Intel, this marks a significant return to the memory module business, which the company left almost 40 years ago after facing intense competition.

The first Z-Angle Memory prototypes are planned to be ready around 2028–2029.