What is SK hynix?

On ChatGPT launch day, SK hynix was the only HBM3 supplier for the Nvidia GPUs the world suddenly needed.

“Thusly on November 30th, 2022 - the day of ChatGPT's release - there was just one company providing the high-performance HBM3 critical for the Nvidia GPUs that everyone suddenly wanted: SK hynix.”

SK hynix HBM2 manufacturing yields averaged roughly 50%, an extremely low rate for a mass-production product.

“On average, HBM2 yields were about 50%, which is horridly low.”

SK hynix required approximately 50 development iterations of EMC material with NAMICS just to enable MR-MUF HBM packaging.

“The EMC material was developed in partnership with the Japanese company NAMICS, and required some fifty iterations.”

SK Hynix Chairman Chey Tae-won predicts 2027 will be the worst year for memory supply shortage.

“We expect 2027 to be the worst year in terms of memory supply shortage.”

HBM was originated by AMD approaching SK hynix, not by Nvidia, despite Nvidia dominating the AI GPU narrative today.

“This led AMD to approach SK hynix to co-produce a new industry standard architecture.”

Towa (Japan): supplier of molding equipment co-developed with SK hynix specifically for MR-MUF HBM packaging, a critical and proprietary process step.

“Since no equipment or material then existed for it, SK hynix had to co-develop everything from scratch. The molding equipment, for example, was produced with Japan's Towa. The EMC material was developed in partnership with the Japanese company NAMICS, and required some fifty iterations.”

NAMICS (Japan): supplier of EMC underfill material co-developed with SK hynix for HBM MR-MUF packaging, representing a hard-to-replicate materials partnership.

“Since no equipment or material then existed for it, SK hynix had to co-develop everything from scratch. The molding equipment, for example, was produced with Japan's Towa. The EMC material was developed in partnership with the Japanese company NAMICS, and required some fifty iterations.”