SK Hynix has developed the highest-spec DRAM available, capable of processing data equivalent to 163 ultra-high-definition movies in just one second. This is expected to be used in high-performance data centers, machine learning, and supercomputers.

SK Hynix announced on the 20th that it has developed the industry's first 'HBM3' DRAM.

HBM (High Bandwidth Memory) is a high-value, high-performance product that vertically connects multiple DRAMs to dramatically increase data processing speeds compared to conventional DRAM. HBM3 is the fourth-generation HBM product.

SK Hynix solidified its leadership in this market by developing HBM3 just one year and three months after becoming the first in the industry to begin mass production of HBM2E DRAM in July of last year.

SK Hynix emphasized, “With this HBM3, we have not only achieved the highest speed and largest capacity among HBM DRAMs released so far, but also significantly improved the quality level.”

In terms of speed, HBM3 can process 819GB (gigabytes) of data per second. This is equivalent to processing 163 5GB full-HD movies in just one second. Compared to the previous generation HBM2E, the speed is about 78% faster.

Additionally, this product incorporates on-die error correction code (ECC). This code allows HBM3 to automatically correct errors in data transmitted to DRAM cells, significantly enhancing product reliability.

This HBM3 will be released in two capacities: 16GB and 24GB. The 24GB option, in particular, represents the industry's largest. To achieve this, SK Hynix engineers ground individual DRAM chips to a height of approximately 30 micrometers (μm, 10-6m), roughly one-third the thickness of a sheet of A4 paper, and then vertically connected twelve of these chips using TSV technology.

TSV (Through Silicon Via) is an interconnection technology that drills thousands of tiny holes in a DRAM chip and connects the upper and lower layer chips with electrodes that vertically penetrate the holes.

In the future, HBM3 will be installed in high-performance data centers and is expected to be applied to supercomputers used in machine learning, which enhances the perfection of artificial intelligence (AI), climate change analysis, and new drug development.

SK Hynix Vice President Cha Seon-yong (in charge of DRAM development) said, “As the world’s first company to launch HBM DRAM, we led the HBM2E market and succeeded in developing HBM3 for the first time in the industry.” He added, “We will continue to solidify our leadership in the premium memory market while doing our best to increase customer value by supplying products that comply with ESG management.”