Hanmi's dominance continues to be challenged
SK Hynix has placed a large order to procure thermal compression (TC) bonders to Hong Kong-based ASMPT, TheElec has learned.
The South Korean memory maker has ordered over 30 units for the equipment that will be used in the production of HBM3E 12H, its latest iteration of high-bandwidth memory, sources said.
TC bonders are crucial in the production of HBM where multiple DRAM dies are stacked vertically.
SK Hynix bonds its HBM using a process it calls mass reflow molded underfill (MR-MUF).
For HBM3E 12H, as the DRAM dies have gotten thinner, the company uses what it calls heated MR __ where the least amount of heat is used before reflow __ to bond them together to prevent warpage.
During testing, SK Hynix determined that ASMPT’s equipment performed better than Hanmi Semiconductors’, sources said.
Hanmi Semiconductor last month said it has formed a 40-person team dedicated to after-sales service for SK Hynix, which is likely due to the underperformance of its equipment.
Hanmi Semiconductor had dominated the supply of TC bonders to the memory maker prior to the entry of rivals such as ASMPT and Hanwha Precision Machinery __ which has also turned in their own equipment for testing though it has not passed SK Hynix’s test yet.
SK Hynix declined to comment on the matter.
HBM3E 12H will be used with Nvidia’s Blackwell and AMD’s MI325 and MI350 and other major GPU AI accelerators. According to TrendForce, HBM3E is expected to account for 80% of HBM’s bit demand in 2025. Half of that will come for 12 stack HBMs, the analyst firm noted.
Last week, SK Hynix announced that it was staring the production HBM3E 12H, the becoming the first among memory makers to do so. Samsung has also provided sample of its own 12-stack HBM to Nvidia but this has not passed as of yet.
