SK hynix develops world’s 1st HBM4, ready for mass production

SK hynix said Friday it had completed development of the world’s first HBM4 chip for artificial intelligence systems, and is prepared to begin mass production.

The Korean chipmaker, which dominates the global HBM market, was the first to supply fifth-generation HBM3E chips to Nvidia last year. Industry watchers expect the company to extend its lead in the HBM race with HBM4, reinforcing its postion as the top supplier of the AI memory chip.

“Completion of HBM4 development will be a new milestone for the industry,” said Cho Joo-hwan, head of HBM Development at SK hynix who has led the development. “By supplying the product that meets customer needs in performance, power efficiency and reliability in timely manner, the company will fulfill time to market and maintain competitive position.”

HBM vertically stacks DRAM chips to accelerate data transfer far beyond conventional DRAM. Attached alongside graphics processing units, HBM enables rapid data handling for AI servers and other data-intensive computing.

Nvidia, the world's top GPU maker, is expected to use eight of SK hynix' 12-layer HBM4 units in its next-generation GPU platform Rubin, due in the second half of 2026.

The company said HBM4 doubles bandwidth by adopting 2,048 input/output terminals and delivers over 10 gigabits per second operating speed — surpassing the JEDEC industry standards of 8Gbps.

Power efficiency improves by more than 40 percent compared with the previous generation, potentially boosting AI service performance by up to 69 percent while cutting data center energy use, the chipmaker added.

For HBM4 mass production, SK hynix explained it applied its advanced MR-MUF stacking method and the fifth generation of its 1b, 10-nanometer process technology, minimizing production risks.

The MR-MUF process injects liquid protective materials between stacked chips to safeguard the circuits and hardens them, offering greater efficiency in heat dissipation. The company stressed that this technology is critical to ensuring the stability of HBM production at scale.

“We are unveiling the establishment of the world’s first mass production system of HBM4,” said Kim Ju-seon, president and head of AI Infra at SK hynix. “HBM4, a symbolic turning point beyond the AI infrastructure limitations, will be a core product for overcoming technological challenges.”

Industry analysts predict SK hynix' HBM4 could be priced 60 to 70 percent higher than its predecessor. The price would likely decline gradually when rival suppliers Samsung Electronics and US-based Micron Technology enter the market.

Samsung is also preparing for mass production of the HBM4, and has said it will be producing the next-generation chip using the 1c, sixth-generation 10nm DRAM technology. The 1c process is more advanced than the 1b process.