SK hynix starts 12-layer HBM3E memory mass production this month, ships next quarter

SK hynix will begin mass production of its new 12-layer HBM3E memory chips before the end of September, with shipments of the new AI memory expected in Q4 2024... not long from now.

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The South Korean memory leader isn't just teasing its 12-layer HBM3E memory, but its next-gen HBM4 memory that will be shipping in 2H 2025 ready for NVIDIA's next-generation Rubin R100 AI GPU which uses the ultra-fast next-generation HBM4 memory standard.

The new comments about 12-layer HBM3E and future-gen HBM4 AI memory were made during SEMICON Taiwan 2024, of which SK hynix was in attendance. SK hynix showed off its new 12-layer HBM3E AI memory at FMS 2024 back in July, but it appears we're even closer to it becoming a reality.

SK hynix reportedly provided NVIDIA with its new 12-layer HBM3E memory modules for testing back in March 2023, so we're only 6 months in and it's already being mass-produced (at the end of this month, September 2024). SK hynix VP said the company wants to become the "total AI memory provider" for AI GPUs with its HBM memory, and it's continuing on that (dominant) path.

• Read more: SK hynix to showcase its next-gen AI memory products like 12-layer HBM3E at FMS 2024
• Read more: SK hynix's next-gen HBM4 tape out in October: ready for NVIDIA's future-gen Rubin R100 AI GPU
• Read more: SK hynix plans to develop new memory product with 30x the performance of HBM memory chips
• Read more: SK hynix preparing to expand DRAM capacity (HBM, DRAM) by 80K wafers per month at M16, M10 fabs