SK Hynix begins volume production of ‘best’ HBM3E

New Products | March 19, 2024

By Peter Clarke

Artificial Intelligence Analog Memory & Data Storage

SK Hynix Inc. has announced it has begun volume production of its 36Gbyte HBM3E memory for supply to a customer from late March. That customer is thought to be Nvidia.

Similarly to a product from Samsung, SK Hynix now stacks 12 die of 24Gbit memory capacity to provide a memory capacity of 36Gbytes (see Samsung goes 12-high with HBM3E 36Gbyte DRAM).

HBM is a DRAM-based product that achieves higher data processing speeds compared to single-plane DRAMs by vertically connecting multiple DRAM die with through-silicon vias (TSVs) and bumps. There are five generations of HBM, starting with the original HBM and followed by HBM2, HBM2E, HBM3, and HBM3E – an extended version of HBM3.

SK Hynix said in a press statement that its latest product is “the industry’s best in all the aspects required for an AI memory including speed and heat control.” The memory processes up to 1.18Tbytes of data per second, equivalent to transferring more than 230 full-HD movies in a second.

SK Hynix’s HBM3E also comes with a 10 percent improvement in heat-dissipation performance, compared with the previous generation, following application of the Mass Reflow Molded Underfill (MR-MUF).

As part of the stacking of HBM die SK Hynix injects liquid protective materials between them to protect the circuit between die, which is then hardened. The process has proved to be more efficient and effective for heat dissipation, compared with the method of laying film-type materials for each chip stack. SK Hynix’s MR-MUF technology supports stable mass production as pressure on the chips being stacked can be reduced, while warpage control is improved.

“With the success story of the HBM business and the strong partnership with customers that it has built for years, SK Hynix will cement its position as the total AI memory provider,” said Sungsoo Ryu, head of HBM business at SK Hynix, in the statement.