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High Bandwidth Memory (HBM)

  • 15 May 2024

Chinese chipmakers are making strides in producing High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) semiconductors, marking a significant move to decrease reliance on foreign suppliers amidst geopolitical tensions.

  • High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) is a type of RAM (Random Access Memory) technology used predominantly in graphics cards and high-performance computing systems.
  • It's designed to offer significantly higher bandwidth while occupying less physical space compared to traditional DDR (Double Data Rate) memory.
  • China's CXMT and Wuhan Xinxin are early-stage producers of HBM chips, targeting reduced reliance on foreign suppliers amid geopolitical tensions.
  • HBM, vital for AI applications, sees soaring demand; China's focus is on HBM2, trailing global leaders like SK Hynix and Samsung.
  • Chinese chipmakers face significant challenges, lagging global rivals by a decade in HBM technology, but patents and collaborations signal advancement efforts.