SK Hynix will choose TSMC’s 7nm process

Recently, SK Hynix announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), marking a significant collaboration aimed at advancing the production of next-generation HBM products and enhancing the integration of HBM with advanced packaging technologies at the logic layer. SK Hynix intends to collaborate with TSMC on the development of the sixth generation of HBM products, known as HBM4, with production slated for 2026.

According to reports from The Elec, SK Hynix plans to leverage TSMC’s 7nm process to manufacture the base dies required for HBM4, as part of the optimization efforts focused on the bottom-most layer of the dies housed within the HBM package. HBM involves stacking multiple DRAM dies on base dies and vertically connecting them through Through Silicon Via (TSV) technology. The base dies also interface with the GPU, playing a critical role in controlling the HBM.

While SK Hynix has historically manufactured the base dies for its HBM products, including HBM3E (the fifth generation), using its own process technology, the adoption of TSMC’s advanced logic process for HBM4 aims to incorporate additional functionalities. Both parties also plan to merge SK Hynix’s HBM products with TSMC’s CoWoS (Chip on Wafer on Substrate) technology to further optimize performance in response to customer demands for HBM products.

Furthermore, SK Hynix envisions producing customized HBM products tailored to meet a broader range of customer requirements in terms of performance and efficiency. According to SK Hynix’s schedule, mass production of HBM4 is expected to commence in 2026, marking a significant milestone in the advancement of high-bandwidth memory technology.