[News] Hanmi Semiconductor Rumored to Halt TC Bonder Exports to China, Threatening Its HBM and AI Push

As China races to localize AI chips and memory, rumors are mounting that Washington may tighten controls on its HBM production. According to Chinese media outlet EE Times China, Hanmi Semiconductor has informed Chinese clients it will halt shipments of TC bonders, crucial tools for stacking HBM chips using thermal compression.

If confirmed, the move would deal a direct blow to China’s HBM push. Notably, Money Today previously reported rising overseas demand for Hanmi’s tools, especially from Micron and Chinese memory makers.

Hanmi Semiconductor reportedly dominates the TC bonder market for HBM3E, holding a commanding 90% share. As per EE Times China, while Hanmi supplies TC bonders for SK hynix’s 12-layer stacking process, the company has also landed major orders from Micron.

In contrast, EE Times China notes that China’s only contender—PrecisioNext’s Loong series—remains unproven in mass production and supports only limited processes like TC-NCF. Without this key piece, China’s HBM ambitions could face serious setbacks.

Impact on China’s HBM Development

EE Times China notes that China’s leading DRAM maker kicked off HBM2 mass production in late 2024—two years ahead of schedule. Additionally, the company reportedly targets HBM3 by 2026 and HBM3E by 2027, a rapid catch-up that’s putting pressure on Korean memory giants like Samsung and SK hynix. In this context, Hanmi’s move looks increasingly strategic.

Seen in this light, whether to be pushed by the U.S. or not, if Hanmi does halt supply for its TC bonders to China, it could create serious roadblocks for China’s HBM push, the report adds.

The most immediate impact, as per the report, would be a sharp slowdown in China’s HBM capacity expansion. The move could also create yield challenges for China’s memory makers, which could push wafer costs up by nearly 30%, the report notes.

Furthermore, the report brings up concerns that it may weigh on China’s AI development. While HBM is key to AI chips, any bottlenecks could slow compute upgrades and stall progress in areas like large-scale model training, the report warns.

Read more

• [News] The TC Bonder Dispute: Is Hybrid Bonding for 16Hi HBM the Spark Behind the Hanmi-SK hynix Rift?
• [News] The TC Bonder Drama: Could Hanmi’s Supply Shift the HBM Race Between Micron, SK hynix, and Samsung?

(Photo credit: Hanmi Semiconductor)