Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix Accelerate Mass Production of 6th Generation HBM Products

Samsung Electronics CEO Gyeong-Hyun (DS division head, photo left) and SK Hynix CEO and President Kwak No-Jeong / Photo = All companies

[시사저널e=고명훈 기자] Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are accelerating mass production of 6th generation high bandwidth memory (HBM) 12-layer products. Both companies have already started mass production of the 8-speed product, and a 12-speed prototype product has been delivered and is currently being tested. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix plan to start mass production in the second and third quarters of this year, respectively.

According to the semiconductor industry on the 4th, Samsung Electronics’ 8-layer HBM3E (6th generation) product sales are expected to start as early as the end of the second quarter of this year. A 12-layer product supporting 36GB (gigabyte) high capacity is also scheduled for mass production starting in the second quarter. Samsung Electronics announced that it will expand its HBM supply more than three times this year compared to the previous year, and that the share of the HBM3E will reach more than two-thirds of the total HBM sales by the end of this year.

Kim Gyeong-ryun, executive director of the product planning office of Samsung Electronics’ memory division, said in a contribution to the Samsung Electronics Newsroom on the 2nd, “We started mass production of the 8-layer HBM3E product last month, and we developed the industry product .first 12-layer product to keep up with the growing needs of customers for high-capacity products in the industry “However, we plan to mass-produce the product within the second quarter,” he said up (increasing production capacity for mass production), and continuing supply along with expanding HBM (production capacity) capability to respond to future demand for productive AI.” “We will increase it,” he said.

SK Hynix also started mass production of 8-layer HBM3E products last month and started supplying them to customers. This year’s planned supply of HBM has already been sold, and next year’s supply is almost sold out as well. For the 12-layer HBM3E product, samples will be provided in May and preparations are being made for mass production in the third quarter.

Samsung Electronics HBM3E 12 layer product / Photo = Samsung Electronics

Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix maintain the package process technology that has been applied to existing products for the production of 12-layer HBM3E. Samsung Electronics applies the thermocompression (TC)-NCF method, and SK Hynix applies the advanced mass reflow molding (MR-MUF) underfill method.

TC-NCF is a method of attaching a non-conductive adhesive film called NCF between semiconductor chips by applying heat and pressure.

Kim Jae-jun, vice president and head of strategic marketing for the memory division of Samsung Electronics, said in a recent first-quarter performance conference call, “We believe that 12-layer products that support a high capacity of 36GB have product competitiveness based on TC- NCF technology, which has the advantage of a high-end stack.

The MR-MUF method that SK Hynix uses to produce HBM involves soldering multiple chips at once in equipment such as a large oven, and then injecting a liquid protective material into the space to protect the circuit between the chips and their hardening . SK Hynix uses the TC-NCF process up to the HBM2 (2nd generation) product, and is introducing MR-MUF technology starting with the HBM2E (3rd generation).

Samsung Electronics predicted that cumulative HBM sales expected between 2016 and this year will exceed $10 billion (about KRW 13.677 trillion). SK Hynix also forecast HBM’s cumulative sales over the same period to be in the mid-$10 billion range.

US-based Micron also supplied 12-layer HBM3E samples to customers last month. The aim is to start mass production next year. Some are raising concerns about the possibility of oversupply as the HBM capacity of the three global memory companies expands rapidly.

Regarding this, SK Hynix CEO Kwak No-jeong said in a company strategy press conference held on the 2nd, “There are some concerns that the HBM market may face oversupply due to the expansion of supplier capacity, but after this year, the HBM market will still be able to meet the parameters for improving AI performance. In the medium to long term, demand growth of around 60% per year on average is expected as HBM demand sources diversify. “

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