SK Hynix is planning to install equipment in its new M15X factory two months ahead of schedule, due to a surge in orders for its high-bandwidth memory (HBM) from customers, particularly Broadcom. The company is also expanding its production capabilities.
Recent #HBM news in the semiconductor industry
➀ Researchers developed lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) to deliver mRNA encoding the KRAS G12D neoantigen and cGAMP to reprogram the liver's immune environment and generate an antitumor response against metastatic pancreatic cancer.
➁ The LNPs successfully activated the type I interferon pathway, leading to the generation of CD8+ cytotoxic T cells capable of recognizing and attacking metastatic cancer cells.
➂ The study suggests that combining KRAS mRNA with a STING agonist strengthens the immune response against PDAC and offers a more effective approach than traditional immunotherapies.
➀ Ed reflects on the sources of €1trn and his strategy to secure a share of it;
➁ Ed discusses the possibility of the US raising €800 billion for 'ReArm Europe' and €200 billion for 'InvestAI';
➂ Ed's assignment to the EU as 'Digital Envoy' and his plan to spend on meals and indulgences to identify influential figures in the spending of the funds.
➀ A research team led by Professor Kyu-Young Park from POSTECH has developed technology to significantly increase the lifespan and energy density of electric vehicle (EV) batteries;
➁ The technology involves a 'nano-spring coating' technique that improves battery stability and performance;
➂ The research is published in ACS Nano and has the potential to revolutionize EV battery technology.
➀ A new type of miniaturized pumps and valves using ultra-thin silicon films is presented at the Hannover Messe, developed by researchers at Saarland University. These pumps and valves operate without air pressure, motors, and lubricants, and can be operated in clean rooms. The team demonstrates a prototype of a new vacuum pump that can draw a vacuum up to 300 millibars.
➁ The technology is cost-effective, lightweight, and energy-efficient compared to current methods, with a 400 times lower energy consumption compared to conventional air-driven valves.
➂ The researchers have developed a novel actuator and pump technology that can be used in various applications, including robotic grippers, speakers, smart textiles, and haptic feedback.
➀ A team from Saarland University's Faculty of Engineering and Medicine is developing smart implants at the university and university hospital to monitor and promote healing in body bone fractures.
➁ The robotic implants can stiffen and soften through shape-memory technology, allowing for permanent monitoring of fracture healing.
➂ The research team is miniaturizing the technology for use in market screws as part of an EU project.
➀ The Q4 DRAM market grew 9.9%, reaching over $28 billion;
➁ Seasonal Q1 weakness and weakening CSP demand are expected to lower prices in the current quarter;
➂ Samsung remained the top DRAM supplier with $11.25 billion in revenue, followed by Hynix and Micron.
➀ NAND manufacturers are often overlooked in the AI boom despite their role in storage.
➁ The demand for DRAM, especially HBM, in AI computing far outstrips that for NAND, which is primarily used for secondary storage.
➂ The NAND market has experienced ups and downs, with a surge in demand for enterprise SSDs driven by AI servers and a decline in consumer demand.
➃ SanDisk's HBF technology offers a potential new direction for NAND, providing high bandwidth and capacity for AI inference applications.
➄ NAND manufacturers are exploring other avenues, such as increasing storage density and optimizing production capacity, to adapt to the AI market.
➀ Samsung is re-engineering its HBM chips as revealed at CES; ➁ Hynix has been leading the HBM market with about 50% of the revenues; ➂ The HBM market is expected to be worth about $14 billion last year and grow at a CAGR of ~38% to reach $37.7 billion by 2029.
➀ SK Hynix unveils the latest HBM (HBM3E) 16-chip at CES 2025;
➁ SK Hynix's stock price surged by 6.25% due to positive expectations for NVIDIA;
➂ SK Hynix plans to release HBM3E 16-chip with expanded storage capacity of up to 48GB;
➃ Lee & Huang's meeting at CES is anticipated.
➀ Compute Express Link (CXL) technology is expected to move from a niche to mainstream use in 2025; ➁ CXL's support for memory expansion is a significant driver, with various server and memory solutions now available; ➂ CXL 2.0 and future generations of PCIe/CXL will enable more advanced use cases like switching and dynamic memory allocation.
➀ GMG's THERMAL-XR® coated heat sinks demonstrate the potential for miniaturization and efficiency; ➁ The technology could reduce heat sink size by up to 39% while maintaining equivalent thermal performance; ➂ The application of THERMAL-XR® could improve the efficiency of heat sinks, enabling smaller heat sinks and more compact PCB assemblies.
➀ SEMI forecasts semiconductor manufacturing equipment sales to grow 6.5% year-on-year to $113 billion in 2024, with projections of $121 billion for 2025 and $139 billion for 2026. ➁ The wafer fab equipment (WFE) segment is expected to grow 5.4% to $101 billion in 2024, driven by DRAM, HBM, and China. ➂ Back-end equipment sales are projected to surge, with test equipment sales increasing 14.7% in 2025 and 18.6% in 2026.
➀ Broadcom unveils its 3.5D XDSiP platform for AI and HPC processors; ➁ The platform utilizes TSMC's CoWoS and advanced packaging technologies; ➂ It allows for SiPs with up to 6000mm² of 3D-stacked silicon and 12 HBM modules, set to arrive in 2026.
➀ NVIDIA has announced a new Grace Blackwell platform with the NVIDIA GB200 NVL4, which combines two Arm-based Grace CPUs and four Blackwell GPUs. The platform is designed for lower power deployments with a power consumption of just over 6kW. The NVL4 module is targeted to be a large node with up to 1.3TB of combined coherent memory. ➁ The GB200 NVL4 is set to ship in the second half of 2025. ➂ The NVL4 is designed as an alternative to the higher power and higher GPU count platforms offered by NVIDIA, targeting specific deployment needs.
Hanwha Semitech announced on Friday that it has entered into a 21 billion won agreement to supply high-bandwidth memory (HBM) production equipment to SK Hynix. The company, previously known as Hanwha Precision Machinery, did not specify the equipment, but it is almost certain to be thermal compression (TC) bonders.
➀ Neil Druckmann discussed the evolving role of storytelling in video games with screenwriter Alex Garland, reflecting on the challenges and inspirations around narratives in games.
➁ Games like BioShock and The Last of Us demonstrated the full capability of narrative in gaming, challenging the industry's skepticism.
➂ Druckmann shared his early inspirations for narrative-driven games, including Monkey Island 2 and Half-Life 2.
➀ Reputable leaker Billbil-Kun reports that Death Stranding 2 pre-orders are expected to start in March, with a release date likely announced at SXSW 2025.
➁ The game will have a Standard Edition at $69.99 and a Collector's Edition at $229.
➂ The leak also confirms that Death Stranding 2 will launch with a physical Standard Edition, priced at $69.99 USD / 69.99 EUR, along with a Collector's Edition planned for North America and Europe, retailing at $229 USD.
➀ Dr. Prady Gupta is the Founder and Chief Scientist at Infinita Lab and Infinita Materials, focusing on materials testing and specialized chemicals for high-tech industries.
➁ Infinita Lab offers a network of over 2,000 accredited labs for comprehensive materials testing services.
➂ Infinita Materials specializes in custom inorganic chemicals for sectors like semiconductors and batteries.
➀ This paper discusses the post-silicon validation of the IBM POWER9 processor, highlighting its significance in the context of increasing multi-core processor adoption by hyperscalers.
➁ IBM's Threadmill, a tool for processor verification, has been enhanced since the POWER7, including optimized template allocation and debugging strategies for multi-core write drops.
➂ The validation methodology for POWER9 has significantly improved bug detection rates compared to POWER8, with new techniques like AI prioritization and hardware irritators to induce bugs.