SK Hynix Unveils 48GB AI Memory Chip, Sets Industry Benchmark

Seoul, South Korea—SK Hynix announced the development of the world's largest capacity High-Bandwidth Memory chip, advancing its position in the artificial intelligence computing market.

The 48GB 16-layer HBM3E chip, planned for commercialization in 2025, will improve AI learning performance by up to 18% and inference performance by 32% compared to its 12-layer predecessor, the company said at the SK AI Summit 2024 in Seoul.

SK Hynix CEO Kwak Noh-Jung revealed the company is collaborating with a leading foundry to develop HBM4, focusing on improved base die performance and reduced power consumption.

The company is pursuing two technical approaches for the new chip: Advanced MR-MUF technology for mass production and hybrid bonding technology as a backup process.

The memory manufacturer outlined plans to expand beyond its current product line, announcing HBM4 and UFS 5.0 development targets while working on custom HBM and CXL memory solutions.

SK Hynix also showcased other AI-focused products, including the CMM-DDR5, which can expand system bandwidth by up to 50% and capacity by up to 100% compared to standard DDR5 systems.

The company's strategy focuses on developing and mass-producing world-first products, next-generation high-performance products, and system-optimized products for the AI era.