SK Hynix is moving early to prepare hybrid bonding technology for next-generation high-bandwidth memory, as competition in AI memory shifts from stacking capacity toward packaging density, thermal management, and interconnect performance. The company is evaluating Hanwha Semitech’s SHB2 Nano hybrid bonder at a production line.
Hybrid bonding — which directly bonds copper pads between dies without microbumps — is expected to become essential for HBM4 and beyond, where increasing layer counts and tighter pitch requirements make conventional mass-reflow technology inadequate. The approach reduces resistance and improves thermal conductivity between stacked dies.
The development signals that memory makers are already preparing manufacturing capabilities for next-generation HBM standards even as current-generation HBM3E supply remains constrained. SK Hynix, the market leader in HBM, is racing against Samsung and Micron to secure the packaging technology needed to maintain its position as layer counts push past 12 and toward 16-high stacks.
