SK Hynix and TSMC Staff Up for HBM4 Improvement

SK hynix and TSMC introduced early on Friday that they’d signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on creating the next-generation HBM4 reminiscence and superior packaging expertise. The initiative is designed to hurry up the adoption of HBM4 reminiscence and solidify SK hynix’s and TSMC’s main positions in high-bandwidth reminiscence and superior processor purposes.

The first focus of SK hynix’s and TSMC’s preliminary efforts will likely be to reinforce the efficiency of the HBM4 stack’s base die, which (if we put it very merely) acts like an ultra-wide interface between reminiscence units and host processors. With HBM4, SK hynix plans to make use of one in all TSMC’s superior logic course of applied sciences to construct base dies to pack extra options and I/O pins throughout the confines of current spatial constraints. 

This collaborative method additionally permits SK hynix to customise HBM options to fulfill various buyer efficiency and vitality effectivity necessities. HBM has been touting customized HBM options for some time, and teaming up with TSMC will undoubtedly assist with this.

“TSMC and SK hynix have already established a robust partnership through the years. We have labored collectively in integrating probably the most superior logic and state-of-the artwork HBM in offering the world’s main AI options,” stated Dr. Kevin Zhang, Senior Vice President of TSMC’s Enterprise Improvement and Abroad Operations Workplace, and Deputy Co-Chief Working Officer. “Waiting for the next-generation HBM4, we’re assured that we’ll proceed to work carefully in delivering the best-integrated options to unlock new AI improvements for our frequent clients.“

Moreover, the collaboration extends to optimizing the mixing of SK hynix’s HBM with TSMC’s CoWoS superior packaging expertise. CoWoS is among the many hottest specialised 2.5D packaging course of applied sciences for integrating logic chips and stacked HBM right into a unified module.

For now, it’s anticipated that HBM4 reminiscence will likely be built-in with logic processors utilizing direct bonding. Nevertheless, a few of TSMC’s clients would possibly desire to make use of an ultra-advanced model of CoWoS to combine HBM4 with their processors.

“We count on a robust partnership with TSMC to assist speed up our efforts for open collaboration with our clients and develop the business’s best-performing HBM4,” stated Justin Kim, President and the Head of AI Infra at SK hynix. “With this cooperation in place, we’ll strengthen our market management as the full AI reminiscence supplier additional by beefing up competitiveness within the area of the customized reminiscence platform.“