SK hynix weighs Intel Foundry for HBM4E base dies

SK hynix is reportedly considering Intel Foundry as a manufacturing partner for HBM4E memory base dies, potentially shifting from a sole reliance on TSMC to a dual-sourcing strategy. Intel Foundry could secure a significant portion of the contract if selected.

HBM4E enables custom logic to be implemented on the base die, with DRAM dies stacked above it. Customers could place functions such as memory controllers and PHYs directly on the HBM4E base die, reducing the area those components occupy on the main compute chiplet.

Under the proposed arrangement, SK hynix would send the design to Intel, which would supply the base dies back to SK hynix for DRAM stacking. The approach could free space on the main compute tile in AI accelerators for more processing units, while reducing latency and improving performance.

The manufacturing node remains unclear. Up until HBM3E, SK hynix used its own nodes for base dies, but those are 10 nm class nodes, and customers are now seeking more advanced technology.