Micron Set to Mass Produce 16-Layer HBM3E Memory

According to reports from South Korean media, Micron Technology, a leading US memory manufacturer, is preparing for the mass production of its fifth-generation high-bandwidth memory, HBM3E, featuring 16-layer stacking. This development is progressing nearly in parallel with SK Hynix's advancements in the same technology.

Industry insiders indicate that Micron is conducting final evaluations of equipment and is ready to begin large-scale production of its 16-layer stacked HBM3E products. Additionally, the company has significantly increased its investments in critical manufacturing equipment.

Despite being ranked third in the standard DRAM market, Micron has made significant strides in custom high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and low-power next-gen memory technologies. This progress has garnered attention from the South Korean semiconductor industry, prompting calls for greater vigilance.

Among the three major DRAM manufacturers, SK Hynix announced its 48GB 16-Hi HBM3E product in November 2024, boasting an 18% performance boost in AI training compared to the previous 12-Hi 32GB HBM3E, with inference performance improvements reaching 32%. Samsung Electronics has also begun mass production of 16-Hi HBM3E memory this year.

Micron has set an ambitious goal to increase its share of the HBM market from a low single-digit percentage to 20%, aligning with its overall DRAM market position. To achieve this, Micron is aggressively expanding its production capacity worldwide. Earlier this year, the company broke ground on an advanced HBM memory packaging facility in Singapore, with plans for it to begin operations by 2026.

In addition, reports suggest that NVIDIA's next-generation AI chips will feature 16-layer stacked HBM3E memory, with Micron and SK Hynix both nearing readiness for mass production. This positions both companies to secure orders for the HBM3E memory needed for NVIDIA’s upcoming AI chips.