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Amid growing tensions with its longtime TC bonder supplier Hanmi Semiconductor, SK hynix is reportedly taking things a step further. According to Financial News, the HBM leader has started reviewing a full diversification of all Hanmi-supplied equipment—not just TC bonders.
While rumors suggest Hanmi’s price hikes and engineer withdrawals may have triggered SK hynix’s response, industry sources cited in the report point to a deeper reason: the shift toward hybrid bonding for 16-Hi HBM products and beyond. As per the Chosun Daily, TC bonders play a critical role in 8-Hi and 12-Hi HBM production, with the equipment applying heat and pressure to fuse the layers into a single unit. However, the Financial News report suggests that from 16-high and beyond, the traditional method struggles with yield rates.
This is where hybrid bonding comes into play. Financial News suggest that unlike TC bonding, hybrid bonding directly connects chips without creating bumps, resulting in thinner stacks, higher layers, reduced signal loss, and improved yields—key advantages for SK hynix as the HBM leader.
Samsung: Hybrid Bonding Could Be Coming to 12-Layer HBM4
Another memory giant, Samsung, is reportedly researching the method to produce 12-layer HBM4 by year-end, according to Sedaily. Notably, the company plans to introduce hybrid bonding technology and is said to be collaborating with its equipment subsidiary, SEMES, the report adds.
This would make SK hynix’s move more reasonable, as the Financial News report suggests that it is trying to find alternatives for Hanmi’s equipment. The latter is said to be supplying SK hynix with over 10 different types of equipment, including the TC bonder.
ASMPT Poised to Benefit
It is worth noting that according to Financial News, ASMPT, the subsidiary of ASML’s parent company ASMI, is leading the way in hybrid bonding. Meanwhile, Hanmi is also working on developing hybrid bonders, but insiders point out that it still lacks experience in mass production, the report notes.
SK hynix had previously relied solely on Hanmi for its HBM3E 12-high manufacturing, as per Financial News. However, according to the report, since 2024, SK hynix has ordered equipment from ASMPT and recently agreed to purchase 12 TC bonders worth 42 billion KRW from Hanwha Semitek.
According to TrendForce, the focus on HBM products in the DRAM industry is increasingly turning attention toward advanced packaging technologies like hybrid bonding. Major HBM manufacturers are considering whether to adopt hybrid bonding for HBM4 16hi stack products but have confirmed plans to implement this technology in the HBM5 20hi stack generation.
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(Photo credit: ASMPT)
