[News] Samsung Reportedly Starts Trial Production of HBM4 Logic Die with In-house 4nm, Challenging SK hynix

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Samsung’s turnaround in the DRAM sector certainly hinges on its progress of next-gen HBMs, and now there is a ray of hope. According to South Korean media outlet the Chosun Daily, the company has started trial production of the logic dies used in HBM4. More importantly, it has kicked off initial production by leveraging its in-house 4nm node, the report adds.

Citing industry reports, the Chosun Daily report notes that after finalizing performance verification of the logic die, Samsung plans to provide HBM4 samples to customers for testing.

This would mark a critical milestone for Samsung. A previous report from Maeli Business Newspaper discloses that the memory giant has already begun developing “Custom HBM4,” a next-gen high-bandwidth memory tailored specifically for CSP customers like Microsoft and Meta, with mass production expected in 2025.

As its archrival, SK hynix, has secured the lion’s share from NVIDIA on HBM3 and HBM3E orders, implementing its own in-house advanced nodes in HBM4 production is regarded to be Samsung’s game changer in the HBM market, as per the Chosun Daily.

According to the report, in contrast to HBM3E, where DRAM stacks are simply connected to a GPU or similar device, HBM4 incorporates a logic die produced using foundry technology, enabling customization of HBM solutions optimized for specific customer IP and applications.

Notably, SK hynix uses TSMC’s 5nm process for its logic die production, while Samsung reportedly counts on more advanced 4nm node to boost performance and enhance power efficiency, the report suggests.

In addition to that, Samsung plans to implement more cutting-edge technologies to HBM4 production. As per the Chosun Daily, Samsung is expected to use 6th-generation (c) 10nm-class DRAM in its HBM products, while SK hynix will use 5th-generation (b) 10nm-class DRAM.

Additionally, instead of the advanced thermal compression non-conductive film (TC-NCF) technology it previously used, Samsung plans to implement hybrid bonding technology for stacking 16-layer HBM4 products, which connects chips directly using copper instead of traditional bumps, the report notes.

Read more

• [News] Samsung Has Reportedly Ordered Equipment for 1c DRAM Mass Production, Paving the Way for HBM4
• [News] Samsung Reportedly Starts Developing Custom HBM4 for Big CSPs, Eyeing Mass Production by 2025

(Photo credit: Samsung)