Memory and Foundry Start to Merge

TSMC studies 3D DRAM while Samsung sets a 2027 packaging target, redrawing the division of labour.

TSMC has begun planning 3D DRAM production at Nvidia’s request, evaluating both new-build and acquisition routes, with a Micron purchase of a Powerchip facility in Taiwan in March serving as a precedent; the effort is led by its advanced packaging deputy. Samsung separately plans to complete development of hybrid-bonded 3D Cube-H by early 2027, aimed at ultra-high-performance AI chips. Taken together, the two moves mark memory shifting from a supporting component to a primary constraint on compute, and push foundries and memory makers into each other’s territory.