SK Hynix begins mass production of HBM2E for high-performance AI applications

[Photo provided by SK Hynix Inc.]

South Korea’s SK Hynix Inc. has commenced the mass production of High Bandwidth Memory-2E (HBM2E) DRAM chips that boast of the industry’s fastest data transmission speed, raising the bar for the premium memory for high-performance devices with AI features, the company announced Thursday.

The new HBM2E chip can process data at a speed of 460 gigabyte (GB) per second. It is the fastest speed in the industry that enables the transmission of 124 full-HE movies (3.7 GB size for each) in just one second, according to the company.

SK Hynix successfully achieved the density to 16 GB by vertically stacking eight 16-gigabit (Gb) chips using the Through Silicon Via (TSV) technology, twice the density of the previous model. The TSV technology that connects the upper and lower chips through thousands of fine holes on chip helps decrease the chip size by 30 percent and the power consumption by 50 percent, the company explained.

The new HBM2E with high speed, high capacity and less power consumption is a memory solution optimized for next-generation systems with AI features such as deep learning accelerator and high-performance computing. It also is expected to ensure the seamless operation of the Exascale supercomputer capable of calculating one quintillion times per second. The supercomputer is expected to lead the study in next-generation basic and applied science, such as climate changes, bio-medics and space exploration.

The global market for memory and processing chips used in AI applications is estimated to grow to $128.9 billion in 2025 from $42.8 billion in 2019, according to market research firm Omdia. Within the segment, the memory chip market will expand to $60.4 billion from $20.6 billion over the same period.

“SK Hynix has been in the forefront of technology innovation that contributes to human civilization with notable achievements including the world’s first development of HBM products,” said Oh Jong-hoon, executive vice president and chief marketing officer at SK Hynix. “With the full-scale mass production of HBM2E, we will continue to strengthen our presence in the premium memory market and lead the fourth industrial revolution.”

SK Hynix shares on Friday finished 1.18 percent higher at 85,400 won ($71.20) in Seoul.

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