Samsung, TSMC to Develop Bufferless HBM4 Chips

Samsung Electronics is reportedly collaborating with TSMC to develop the next generation of high-bandwidth memory (HBM4) AI chips, aiming to strengthen its presence in the rapidly growing AI chip market.

During the Semicon Taiwan 2024 forum, TSMC's head of Ecosystem and Alliance Management, Dan Kochpatcharin, revealed that the two companies are working together on bufferless HBM4 chips. HBM technology is crucial for the AI boom as it offers faster processing speeds compared to traditional memory chips.

HBM4 represents the sixth generation of HBM chips, with major memory manufacturers such as Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron Technology planning large-scale production as early as next year to support AI chipmakers, including Nvidia. Analysts note that if Samsung and TSMC successfully co-develop the bufferless HBM4 chip, it will mark their first collaboration in the AI chip domain. Samsung, the second-largest player in contract chip manufacturing, faces intense competition with its larger rival, TSMC, in the foundry market.

Industry experts state that bufferless HBM4 chips will offer 40% higher energy efficiency and 10% lower latency than current models. Kochpatcharin emphasized that as memory manufacturing becomes increasingly complex, collaboration is "more important than ever."

Samsung is set to begin mass production of HBM4 chips in 2025. Sources indicate that the collaboration between Samsung and TSMC will focus on cutting-edge sixth-generation HBM4 chips, with mass production expected to start in the second half of next year. While Samsung provides comprehensive HBM4 solutions, including memory production and advanced packaging, it seeks to leverage TSMC's expertise to expand its customer base.

According to market research firm TrendForce, Samsung currently holds 35% of the HBM market. To solidify its leadership in the HBM space, SK Hynix, which does not engage in contract chip manufacturing, announced a partnership with TSMC in April to produce HBM4 chips, with mass production slated for 2026.