According to Korean media reports, Nvidia, TSMC and SK hynix will form a "triangle alliance" to jointly promote the development of the sixth-generation HBM4 in order to welcome the AI era.
SEMI plans to host a SEMICON event on September 4 this year, where more than 1,000 companies, including TSMC, will showcase the latest semiconductor equipment and technologies to foster collaboration and innovation.
SK hynix President Kim Joo-sun will deliver a keynote speech at the event's CEO Summit, and after the speech, he will discuss the next-generation HBM partnership plan with TSMC executives. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang may also join the talks to further cement the triangular alliance between SK hynix, TSMC and Nvidia.
SK hynix and TSMC have previously collaborated. In 2022, TSMC announced the establishment of a 3D Fabric alliance at the North American Technology Forum to include memory and carrier board partners, and SK hynix revealed at that time that the company has been working closely with TSMC on HBM technology to support the compatibility of the CoWoS process and the interconnection of HBM. The cooperation between the top three is finalized in the first half of 2024, SK hynix will use TSMC's logic process to produce HBM's basic interface chips, and plans to start mass production in 2026, while NVIDIA will provide product design.
SK hynix is also expected to demonstrate the latest research results of HBM4 at the event, which can reduce power consumption by more than 20% compared to the original target after adopting TSMC's advanced process and packaging technology.
Pictured: Nvidia, TSMC and SK hynix deepen triangular alliance
The development of HBM4 memory technology is at the heart of this collaboration. Compared to traditional DDR memory, HBM technology significantly increases memory bandwidth by stacking memory chips and connecting them via silicon via (TSV) technology. SK hynix's technology accumulation in the HBM field, combined with TSMC's advanced technology, is expected to make HBM4 achieve a qualitative leap in performance and efficacy.
As the sixth generation of high-bandwidth memory technology, HBM4's biggest highlight is that it achieves higher bandwidth and lower power consumption. This technological breakthrough is critical for fields that need to process large amounts of data, such as AI and high-performance computing. It was revealed that SK hynix, with the support of TSMC, has successfully reduced the power consumption of HBM4 by more than 20%, which will undoubtedly bring users a more efficient and energy-saving experience.
In addition, HBM4 uses more advanced packaging technology that enables multiple memory chips to be stacked on the same substrate, further increasing data transfer rates and storage density. This design not only meets the needs of modern computing systems for high-bandwidth memory, but also leaves plenty of room for future technology upgrades.
As a major supplier of SK hynix, NVIDIA's deep experience in the field of AI will bring professional support in product design to this alliance. The triangular alliance between NVIDIA, TSMC and SK hynix not only strengthens SK hynix's leadership position in the HBM market, but also promotes the development of the entire industry in the direction of more efficient and higher performance.
According to data from research firm Trendforce, SK hynix is expected to hold a 52.5% share of the HBM market in 2024, far outpacing other competitors. The deepening of this alliance is expected to further strengthen its market position and drive the widespread adoption of HBM's technology in AI applications.
