Samsung Set to Mass-Produce HBM4 with Cutting-Edge 4nm Process

It was previously reported that Samsung has established a new “HBM Development Team” dedicated to advancing HBM3, HBM3E, and next-generation HBM4 technologies, aiming to enhance Samsung’s competitiveness in the HBM market. As early as 2015, Samsung had already formed a team within the DRAM department specifically for HBM product development, and this organizational restructuring further strengthens that focus.

According to a report by TrendForce, industry insiders have revealed that Samsung intends to use the 4nm process for the mass production of HBM4 logic die.

The logic die, situated at the bottom of the chip stack, is the core component of HBM. DRAM manufacturers already possess the capability to produce logic die for existing products like HBM3E; however, for HBM4, additional wafer processing steps are necessary to meet the custom features required by customers. It is understood that Samsung’s 4nm process yield rate has now exceeded 70%, and this process is also employed in the Exynos 2400 chips featured in the Galaxy S24 series flagship smartphones.

Compared to the 7/8nm process, the 4nm process is significantly more costly, but it offers superior chip performance and marked advantages in energy efficiency. Samsung is currently using the 10nm process to produce HBM3E, and adopting the 4nm process for the new generation HBM4 can further enhance its competitive edge in the HBM sector.

In April of this year, competitor SK Hynix announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) to closely collaborate on the production of next-generation HBM products and to strengthen the integration of HBM with advanced packaging technologies for the logic layer. SK Hynix plans to work with TSMC to develop sixth-generation HBM products, specifically HBM4.

Subsequently, TSMC confirmed its intention to produce logic die for HBM4, planning to utilize N5 and N12FFC+ processes, which will provide unprecedented performance and energy efficiency for HBM4.