SK Hynix is considering bringing in Intel instead of TSMC to manufacture HBM4 memory

SK Hynix is considering Intel as a packaging partner for HBM‑4

Samsung Electronics owns a fully vertically integrated chip manufacturing operation and can perform contract production on its own, whereas SK Hynix has to rely on external suppliers when creating cutting‑edge High Bandwidth Memory (HBM). One potential partner for such packaging is Intel with its EMIB technology.

ZDNet reports that SK Hynix is already exploring the possibilities of Intel’s EMIB technology in the context of HBM‑4 production. However, the company cannot simply switch to using this technology: its customers also have to agree that their memory will be packaged on Intel sites.

Previously SK Hynix relied on TSMC and its CoWoS (chip‑on‑wafer‑on‑substrate) method. The limits of TSMC’s capabilities are gradually being reached: the maximum size of a monolithic die that the company can produce is about 830 mm². A 2.5D packaging technology such as EMIB allows these constraints to be bypassed and the integration area expanded.

Given that future generations of HBM will increasingly adapt to the requirements of specific AI accelerators (for example, their memory architecture), SK Hynix is forced to diversify its packaging partners. Research on applying EMIB is already underway in the company, as confirmed by internal sources.