SK Hynix Unveils ‘iHBM’ Technology to Cut Heat in HBM Chips

Internal cooling element improves heat management

SK Hynix on May 26 unveiled iHBM, a new technology aimed at improving the performance of high-bandwidth memory, or HBM. The company said an integrated cooling element, or ICE, reduces heat and helps overcome structural limits in HBM.

SK Hynix said it developed iHBM by placing an ICE inside HBM to create an additional heat dissipation path. The company uses a silicon-based material that does not conduct electricity but offers high thermal conductivity.

The technology can control heat density in the D2D PHY section linking the HBM and GPU, according to the company. The D2D PHY section is the physical interface that enables ultrafast data transfer between the HBM base die and high-speed artificial intelligence die. It is generally considered the hottest part of the package.

HBM has so far relied on releasing heat outward through its core dies. HBM stacks DRAM chips vertically, like building a high-rise out of single-story homes. Performance improves as more chips are stacked, but heat buildup has long been a persistent problem. Applying iHBM can cut thermal resistance by more than 30% from existing levels, SK Hynix said. That would allow stable operation even in high-temperature, high-load environments.

SK Hynix said products using iHBM can also be mass-produced. The company integrated the technology with its proprietary Advanced MR-MUF process. That process injects a liquid protective material between stacked semiconductor chips and then hardens it. SK Hynix said the process can create synergies with wafer-level packaging, or WLP, which is used to efficiently produce small, thin semiconductors.

SK Hynix plans to apply iHBM to next-generation products including HBM5, the eighth generation of HBM. “iHBM is an optimized solution developed by combining memory design capabilities with advanced packaging technology,” Lee Kang-wook, a vice president at SK Hynix, said. “We will further strengthen our market leadership by proactively delivering the value customers need in AI environments.”

Won Jong-hwan, Hankyung.com reporter, won0403@hankyung.com