Thu Sep 26 15:03:07 UTC 2024: ## SK hynix Breaks Barriers with 36 GB HBM3E Chip, Driving AI Advancements

**Seoul, South Korea** – SK hynix, a leading memory chip manufacturer, announced today it has achieved a groundbreaking milestone by becoming the first company to mass produce 36 GB 12-layer HBM3E chips. These high-performance memory chips, slated for customer delivery by year’s end, are poised to revolutionize artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC) applications.

The company’s previous HBM3E chips reached a maximum capacity of 24 GB, a figure already in high demand by tech giants like Nvidia. This surge in demand, coupled with the growing popularity of AI and advanced computing, had led to concerns of a DRAM shortage.

However, SK hynix has addressed this potential bottleneck by innovating with its new 36 GB HBM3E, a 50% increase in capacity while maintaining the same physical footprint. This significant leap in capacity is achieved by stacking four additional 3 GB DRAM chips onto the existing eight-layer architecture.

To ensure the structural integrity of this delicate 12-layer design, SK hynix implemented Advanced MR-MUF (Mass Reflow Molded Underfill) technology. This involves injecting a protective liquid material between the stacked chips to safeguard circuits and enhance heat dissipation.

The enhanced 36 GB HBM3E boasts an impressive memory speed of 9.6 Gbps, the fastest currently available. According to SK hynix, a single GPU equipped with four of these chips can process 70 billion parameters of a Large Language Model (LLM) like ‘Llama 3 70B’ 35 times within a second.

This significant achievement has sent ripples through the stock market, with SK hynix shares rising 9% following the announcement, surpassing the growth of rivals Samsung Electronics and Micron.

This news comes as South Korea, with the backing of President Yoon Suk Yeol, has set its sights on becoming one of the world’s top three AI nations. The country has pledged to invest in AI infrastructure, reform regulations, and establish a National AI Computing Center to support this goal.

The Korean government has formed a Presidential AI Committee comprised of experts, officials, and presidential aides to oversee the nation’s research and development push in this field. The success of SK hynix’s HBM3E chip is a testament to Korea’s commitment to AI advancement and its potential to become a global leader in this critical technology sector.

Read More