SK Hynix is ​​brewing differentiated HBM memory

SK Hynix is ​​brewing differentiated HBM memory

The competition in the HBM industry is set to enter a higher level phase.

As early as 2013-2015, SK Hynix and AMD were at the forefront of the memory industry with the first generation of High Bandwidth Memory (HBM), with SK Hynix still leading the market in terms of share. In order to maintain and expand its position, SK Hynix must adapt to customer needs, especially in the field of artificial intelligence, for which it is considering how to manufacture "differentiated" HBM products for major clients.

SK Hynix's Senior Director of Advanced Packaging Development, Hoyoung Son, speaking as Vice President, stated: "Developing customer-specific AI memory requires a new approach, as the flexibility and scalability of the technology become crucial."

In terms of performance, HBM memory with a 1024-bit interface has developed quite rapidly: starting from a data transfer rate of 1GT/s in 2014-2015, to the recently launched HBM3E memory devices reaching 9.2 GT/s - 10 GT/s. With HBM4, the memory is set to transition to a 2048-bit interface, which will ensure a steady increase in bandwidth over HBM3E.

Advertisement

However, according to Hoyoung Son, some customers may benefit from differentiated (or semi-custom) solutions based on HBM.

"To achieve diverse AI, the characteristics of AI memory also need to become more diverse," Hoyoung Son said in an interview with BusinessKorea. "Our goal is to have a variety of advanced packaging technologies that can respond to these changes. We plan to offer differentiated solutions that can meet any customer's needs."

For the 2048-bit interface, many HBM4 solutions may be custom, or at least semi-custom, based on what we have learned from official and unofficial information about the upcoming standards. Some customers may wish to continue using interposer layers (which this time would be very expensive), while others may prefer to use direct bonding technology to attach HBM4 modules directly onto the logic chips, a technique that is also costly.Creating differentiated HBM products requires sophisticated packaging technologies, including (but not limited to) SK Hynix's advanced quality reflow underfill molding compound (MR-RUF) technology. Given the company's extensive experience in HBM, it is likely to come up with other innovations, especially in differentiated products.

Hoyoung Son said: "Our goal is to possess a suite of advanced packaging technologies to address the ever-changing technological landscape. Looking ahead, we plan to offer differentiated solutions to meet the needs of all our customers."

In order to solidify its leadership in the AI domain of HBM, SK Hynix made new executive appointments in 2024, promoting Hoyoung Son, who was in charge of advanced packaging development, to the position of new executive. Son's contributions to the development of advanced packaging, one of the core technologies of HBM, were recognized by the company last year, and he was awarded the "Haedong Young Engineer Award."

Son played a significant role in the industry's highly anticipated development process of HBM. The through-silicon via (TSV) technology, hailed as the core technology of HBM, and SK Hynix's proprietary MR-MUF technology, have been led by Son since their introduction, playing a crucial role in consolidating the company's leadership in AI storage technology.

"For me personally, the greatest achievement is being part of and successfully developing the first generation of HBM in 2013, which was a process from scratch. Even after countless trials and failures, we did not give up but used failures as turning points to continuously steer it in a better direction, which is why we have now developed the fifth generation of HBM3E and advanced packaging technologies."

Son stated that in this rapidly changing AI era, SK Hynix's role is also undergoing transformation, and thus, it must go beyond being a mere product supplier and aim to become a total AI memory provider.

"When developing advanced packaging technologies last year, one organization was responsible for the integration work of combining it with existing process technologies. This approach can reduce errors in the early stages of development, but as technology becomes more complex and diverse, we still have some weaknesses in terms of efficiency and professionalism. To promote the development of customized products, the flexibility and scalability of technology become increasingly important, hence the need for new approaches that go beyond traditional methods."

Son indicated that AI technology has been widely applied in various fields, and correspondingly, its hardware devices are also undergoing changes. To proactively respond to this trend, the company will subdivide its existing organizations and enhance the professionalism of each.

"To achieve different AI applications, the characteristics of AI memory should also be diversified. Our goal is to address these changes with various advanced packaging technologies. In the future, we will provide differentiated solutions to meet any customer needs."

When talking about his aspirations as a new executive, Son expressed his desire to create an environment that can promote the growth and development of members. Specifically, he wants to create an environment where younger generations can freely exercise their creativity, emphasizing the importance of a free working style and diverse exchanges with academia and industry."The achievements of the present are certainly important, but from a long-term perspective, ensuring technological strength is even more crucial. When we were developing TSV technology and HBM, the free working environment and external exchanges with academia and others greatly benefited me, and it became a huge asset. Sun Haorong expressed his anticipation of fostering a similar culture in the department he is now responsible for. He added: 'Although our team members are already very excellent, I hope that through external exchanges, I can help them become top engineers globally. Of course, the ultimate goal is to have the members fully utilize their talents to create an environment and culture that promotes the joint development of individuals and the team.' *Statement: This article is the original creation of the author. The content of the article represents his personal views, and our reposting is solely for sharing and discussion, not an endorsement or agreement. If there are any objections, please contact the backend."

Please note that the translation provided is a direct translation of the original text, and the names have been transliterated to maintain their original sound in English.It seems like you've provided a text with non-standard characters and spaces that don't contain any actual content to translate. If you have a specific text or content that you'd like translated into English, please provide it, and I'll be happy to assist you.