Samsung Executive to Visit NVIDIA to Present Improved HBM

According to Thelec, a South Korean media outlet, Young Hyun Jun, Vice Chairman of Samsung Electronics and Head of the Semiconductor and Device Solutions (DS) division, personally visited NVIDIA's headquarters last week to present the company's latest High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) samples, based on the new 1b DRAM technology.

In May 2023, Samsung announced the mass production of its fifth-generation 10nm-class 16Gb DDR5 memory, followed by the successful development of 32Gb DDR5 memory in September 2023. However, by June 2024, industry reports indicated that the yield rate of Samsung's 1b DRAM was falling short of the typical 80-90% target. Further issues with yield and overheating were reported towards the end of 2024, which delayed the adoption of Samsung's 1b DRAM-based HBM3E by NVIDIA.

In response, NVIDIA requested improvements to Samsung's 1b DRAM design for HBM3E production. Rumors suggest that Samsung is considering shifting its approach by utilizing 1a DRAM (the predecessor of 1b DRAM) to produce 8-layer and 12-layer HBM3E. For future HBM4 production, Samsung may bypass the 1b DRAM process entirely and switch to 1c DRAM.

Earlier in January 2025, Samsung confirmed that progress on its upgraded HBM3E was proceeding smoothly, with plans to begin shipments in the second quarter. The recent visit by Young Hyun Jun, showcasing the 1b DRAM-based HBM samples, underscores the importance of securing NVIDIA's HBM3E orders.

Currently, competitors such as SK hynix have already supplied NVIDIA with 12-layer HBM3E based on 1b DRAM, while Micron has also entered the HBM3E supply chain. NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang mentioned at the 2025 CES that Samsung must redesign its HBM to meet certification standards.