[News] Samsung Reportedly to Tape out HBM4 with 1c DRAM by Year-end

---

---

After forming a new HBM development team within its Device Solutions (DS) Division around July, memory Giant Samsung is now said to have made progress on HBM4, targeting to tape-out the product by the end of this year, a report by TheElec notes. The move is also regarded to be laying the foundation stone for the mass production of its 12-layer HBM4 product by the end of 2025, according to the report.

The report suggests that as the time span between tape-out and finalizing test products might take three to fourth months, Samsung’s HBM4 test products are expected to be released next year at the earliest. Afterwards, Samsung would continue to make improvements until sending samples to key customers.

Samsung, however, declined to comment on its roadmap, according to TheElec.

The report by TheElec further notes that starting from HBM4, Samsung plans to mass-produce the logic die of HBM on its 4nm foundry process. Regarding the memory chip, Samsung is said to adopt the 10nm 6th-generation (1c) DRAM.

Samsung’s major HBM competitor, SK hynix, is reported to enter mass production for its 12-layer HBM4 in the second half of 2025, the report indicates. The company plans to mass-produce the logic die of HBM with TSMC’s 5nm and 12nm processes. As for the memory chip, it is still weighing between 1b DRAM and 1c DRAM.

As Samsung plans to use 1c DRAM in HBM4 core chips, related investments are expected to follow. TrendForce reports that Samsung’s P4L facility will be the key site for expanding memory capacity starting in 2025, starting with NAND production. Equipment installation for DRAM is expected to begin in mid-2025, with mass production of 1c nanometer DRAM slated to commence in 2026.

Samsung’s fifth generation HBM, HBM3e, is still striving on the certification process with NVIDIA. TrendForce notes that as the company is eager to gain higher HBM market share from SK hynix, its 1alpha(1α) capacity has reserved for HBM3e. TrendForce believes that Samsung is going to be a very important supplier on HBM category.

Read more

• [News] Samsung Reportedly to Bring in High-NA EUV Machine as soon as Year-End, as SK hynix Targets 2026
• [News] Samsung Likely Emerges as the Pacemaker for the AI Market if It Secures HBM3e Supply to NVIDIA

(Photo credit: Samsung)