SK Hynix to Use TSMC 3nm for HBM4, Samsung May Follow

According to Korea Economic Daily, SK Hynix, a leading South Korean memory chip manufacturer, is set to produce custom high-bandwidth memory (HBM4) for key clients in the second half of 2025 using TSMC's 3nm process. The move comes in response to growing demand for advanced memory solutions from key industry players.

Sources suggest that SK Hynix and TSMC have finalized their partnership, with the first prototype of the vertical stacked HBM4 featuring a base die produced using TSMC's 3nm process expected to be released as early as March 2025. NVIDIA is anticipated to be one of the primary clients for these advanced memory chips.

While previous generations of HBM, including HBM3E, utilized DRAM-based base dies, HBM4 will feature a significant change: the use of a logic-based base die. This change aims to further enhance performance and energy efficiency. The logic-based die, located at the bottom of the DRAM stack, acts as a crucial bridge between AI accelerators' GPUs and the memory. This new design allows clients to incorporate their own intellectual property (IP) and custom designs, enabling more tailored solutions for data processing, significantly improving efficiency.

Reports indicate that SK Hynix's shift to TSMC's 3nm process for HBM4's base die could offer a 20-30% performance improvement compared to previous 5nm process rumors. In comparison, Samsung has been rumored to be adopting a 4nm process for its HBM4 base die, which could put SK Hynix's offering at a potential advantage.

However, industry insiders revealed that SK Hynix's decision to switch to TSMC's 3nm process comes as a direct response to Samsung's announcement of using a 4nm process for HBM4. In light of this, Samsung is now considering shifting to TSMC's 3nm process as well, which could intensify the competition in the race for next-generation memory technology.