Samsung Electronics and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) have announced their first collaboration to develop the next generation of high bandwidth memory (HBM4).

Dan Kochpatcharin, head of ecology and alliance management at TSMC, reportedly confirmed the collaboration at SEMICON Taiwan 2024, noting that collaboration with partners has become particularly important as HBM processes become increasingly complex.

It is reported that the cooperation aims to develop bufferless (bufferless) HBM4 chips. Samsung plans to start mass production of HBM4 in 2025, and through this cooperation to provide customized solutions for AI chip customers such as NVIDIA and Google.

High-bandwidth memory (HBM) is an advanced DRAM technology that offers significantly higher processing speeds compared to traditional memory, making it a key technology in the AI field and the foundation for driving high-speed computing and deep learning in AI. Major memory makers such as Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron are racing to develop it and expect to launch a mass-production version of HBM4 in 2025.

Currently, SK Hynix leads the HBM market with a 53 percent market share, according to TrendForce, while Samsung is in second place with 35 percent. Samsung's current partnership with TSMC aims to narrow the gap with SK Hynix.

It is worth noting that SK Hynix announced back in April 2024 that it was partnering with TSMC to develop HBM4 and planned to start mass production in 2026.

Samsung's HBM4 collaboration with TSMC will start with sixth-generation HBM technology and leverage TSMC's technological strengths to provide customized chip solutions for market needs. While TSMC has a leading position in high-efficiency die manufacturing and advanced packaging, Samsung is incorporating its strong DRAM manufacturing technology.

Jung-bae Lee, president of Samsung Electronics' Memory Division, pointed out that in order to fully realize the potential of AI chips, customized HBM solutions are the best choice. He emphasized that Samsung will not only continue to develop DRAM technology, but also provide one-stop solutions from DRAM production to logic die manufacturing and advanced packaging services.