Key Findings
SK hynix has begun consultations with domestic and foreign materials and equipment suppliers regarding the mass production and commercialization of its next-generation iHBM memory. The primary objective of this technology is to mitigate heat generation and improve heat resistance by 30% compared to traditional HBM designs.
Technical Details
Standard HBM chips are constructed by stacking DRAM modules on a base die, which is connected to a silicon interposer and then to a package substrate. This architecture often traps heat in the middle of the stack, as heat must travel both upwards toward heat spreaders and cold plates, and downwards toward the system’s heatsink.
To resolve these limitations, iHBM introduces Integrated Cooling Elements (ICE). These cooling components are placed within the die-to-die physical layer (D2D PHY) to directly improve heat dissipation from within the package.
Background & Context
The development of iHBM follows the company’s current focus on HBM4 memory chips. According to reports from ETNews, SK hynix intends to apply iHBM technology to its future HBM5 chips. Because the iHBM technology will utilize SK hynix’s existing Mass Reflow-Molded Underfill (MR-MUF) technology, the company expects the establishment of the necessary supply chain to be similar to its current operational framework.
Significance & Outlook
The shift toward iHBM represents a strategic move to address the thermal ceiling of high-bandwidth memory. By integrating cooling elements directly into the physical layer, SK hynix aims to bypass the traditional reliance on external cooling solutions that only sit at the top or bottom of the DRAM stack. The successful commercialization of iHBM will be critical for the performance stability of next-generation HBM5 memory.
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