MU - I'm Upgrading Micron To A Buy As It Wins The HBM Yield Race With SK Hynix
2024-04-25 13:07:43 ET
Summary
- Memory companies are facing low yield rates in their race to pass qualification tests for NVIDIA's next-gen AI GPUs.
- Samsung may become the sole supplier of 12-layer HBM products for Nvidia, as SK Hynix's 12-layer product is encountering process issues.
- Micron's HBM3E solution will be part of NVIDIA's H200 Tensor Core GPUs, with strong performance potentially moving Micron into the top tier among memory packaging companies.
- The complexity of the hybrid bonding process equipment used to make HBM structures can result in yield loss at various stages of the process.
Background to HBM Yield Issues
A March 4, 2024 WCCF TECH article entitled HBM Manufacturers Witnesses Low Yield Rates, Making It Difficult to Pass NVIDIA's Qualification Tests , quoted a report from DealSite , a Korean media outlet reporting:
I'm Upgrading Micron To A Buy As It Wins The HBM Yield Race With SK Hynix"manufacturers such as Micron and SK Hynix are facing each other head-to-head in the race to pass qualification tests for NVIDIA's next-gen AI GPUs, and it seems like low yield rates are in their way."