[News] SK hynix Ships 12-High HBM4E Samples, Boosts Bandwidth to 16Gbps and Power Efficiency by Over 20%

Just weeks after Samsung delivered its first HBM4E samples in May, SK hynix has quickly followed suit. According to a company announcement, the HBM leader has begun shipping 12-high HBM4E samples to major customers, signaling that the race toward next-generation AI memory commercialization is accelerating.

SK hynix said its 12-high HBM4E delivers up to 16Gbps per-pin bandwidth while improving power efficiency by more than 20% compared with the previous generation. The enhancements are designed to support increasingly demanding AI training and inference workloads.

ET News highlights that SK hynix has transitioned to its sixth-generation 10nm-class (1c) DRAM for HBM4E, marking an upgrade from the fifth-generation 10nm-class (1b) DRAM used through HBM4. Featuring a finer process geometry, 1c DRAM enables higher memory-cell density within the same die area, helping boost both capacity and power efficiency, the report adds.

SK hynix also incorporated its Advanced MR-MUF packaging, which reinforces stacked memory structures by filling and curing protective material between individual dies, enhancing both structural stability and thermal performance, ET News reports. According to SK hynix, the technology enables a 48GB capacity in a 12-high HBM4E stack while maintaining package integrity.

Meanwhile, SK hynix said its HBM4E’s thermal performance has improved by 17% over HBM4, supporting more stable operation in AI and high-performance computing environments.

HBM4E Race Heats Up

SK hynix’s progress in HBM4E further underscores intensifying competition in the next-generation HBM market. Samsung, according to ET News, started volume shipments of HBM4 in February as the first mover, and followed with HBM4E sample deliveries last month, underscoring its push into next-tier memory.

SK hynix, meanwhile, is building on its HBM3, HBM3E, and HBM4 experience and close customer ties to reinforce its position in the next phase of the HBM race, the report notes.

Beyond near-term competition in HBM4E, attention is also turning to upstream technology roadmaps. Samsung is reportedly targeting 1d DRAM, with initial mass production as early as the first half of 2027, according to ZDNet. The 1d node—based on a seventh-generation 10nm-class process with 10–11nm circuit widths versus 11–12nm for 1c—is expected to further improve both performance and power efficiency, potentially reinforcing its HBM5 roadmap positioning, the report suggests.

Read more

• [News] SK hynix Reportedly Pulls Forward HBM4E Sample Timeline, Eyeing June–July Shipments to Key Customers
• [News] Samsung Starts Shipping Industry-First HBM4E Samples 3 Months After HBM4 Ramp; Performance Up 20%+

(Photo credit: SK hynix)