➀ A class-action lawsuit alleges that UnitedHealthcare uses a faulty algorithm to deny patient coverage, filed by two now-deceased individuals. ➁ UnitedHealthcare CEO Brain Thompson was killed in Midtown Manhattan earlier this week, and the suspect is currently on the run. ➂ The lawsuit claims UnitedHealthcare pushed employees to use an algorithm with a 90% error rate to deny coverage.
Recent #HBM news in the semiconductor industry
➀ The rise of RISC-V cores and the challenges of certification; ➁ The role of Breker Verification Systems in the certification process; ➂ The complexity of certifying RISC-V ISA implementations and the efforts of RISC-V International.
➀ YEST announced that it will supply 11.16 billion won worth of eFurnace to SK Hynix; ➁ The eFurnace is used for purifying wafers and enhancing their electrical properties; ➂ SK Hynix is expected to use the equipment in HBM production.
➀ NVIDIA has announced a new Grace Blackwell platform with the NVIDIA GB200 NVL4, which combines two Arm-based Grace CPUs and four Blackwell GPUs. The platform is designed for lower power deployments with a power consumption of just over 6kW. The NVL4 module is targeted to be a large node with up to 1.3TB of combined coherent memory. ➁ The GB200 NVL4 is set to ship in the second half of 2025. ➂ The NVL4 is designed as an alternative to the higher power and higher GPU count platforms offered by NVIDIA, targeting specific deployment needs.
➀ Hynix plans to start sampling HBM3e 16hi memory with 48 GB capacity per cube in H1 2025; ➁ HBM3e 16hi offers a high-capacity alternative before the production of HBM4 16hi; ➂ HBM3e 16hi can deliver a maximum capacity of 384 GB per system, surpassing NVIDIA’s Rubin at 288 GB; ➃ Transitioning from HBM3e to HBM4 will double the I/O count and increase die size, but the per-die capacity remains at 24 GB; ➄ HBM3e 16hi will adopt the Advanced MR-MUF stacking process for higher stack counts and computational bandwidth.
➀ TrendForce predicts a 25% year-on-year increase in DRAM bit output for 2025.➁ Excluding HBM and Chinese capacity, the output would rise by only 15%.➂ HBM3e supply is expected to remain tight.
➀ SK Hynix is scheduled to provide samples of its Gen 5 HBM, HBM3E 16H, in early 2025; ➁ The HBM3E 16H features 16 stacked DRAM dies and will utilize mass reflow molding technology; ➂ SK Hynix CEO Kwak Noh-jung announced this at an event hosted by SK Group.
➀ Researchers from Queen Mary University of London have developed new nanocomposite films from starch, offering a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based materials; ➁ The films are made from abundant natural polymer starch and highly conductive MXene, with potential applications in electronics and sensing; ➂ The nanocomposites can be tailored for various uses, including wearable technology and healthcare, and are biodegradable.
➀ Samsung Electronics reported a better-than-expected profit in its third-quarter earnings, despite a significant decline in profits. ➁ The company highlighted its advancement in high-bandwidth memory (HBM) supply. ➂ Samsung hinted at a potential partnership with TSMC, indicating a strategic move in the semiconductor industry.
➀ Samsung's chip division experienced a 40% profit decline in Q3 2024; ➁ Despite this, sales reached a record high; ➂ Concerns over HBM progress and yield issues on advanced nodes were highlighted.
➀ SK hynix posts record-high Q3 2024 profit; ➁ Sales of AI memory, HBM, and eSSDs see 'explosive' demand; ➂ SK hynix solidifies its position as the world's No.1 AI memory technology provider.
➀ SK hynix achieves a remarkable 94% revenue growth in Q3'24; ➁ Credits the surge in memory demand for AI servers; ➂ Reports a 40% increase in net income quarter-over-quarter.
➀ Google is rumored to switch to TSMC's N3E process for Tensor G5; ➁ The report also clarifies that Google has chosen not to use 2nm technology for Tensor G6; ➂ The move could impact the competition in the AI and smartphone chip markets.
➀ Imec spin-off Brailsports is developing a platform for optimizing athlete training volumes and schedules based on data analysis; ➁ The platform uses AI models to estimate individual athlete fitness and fatigue, improving performance and reducing injury risk; ➂ The platform is currently operational at cycling team Lotto Dstny, with positive results.
➀ Korea’s September semiconductor exports reached a record high of $13.63 billion, up 36.3% year-on-year. Memory exports grew 60.7% year-on-year and 20% month-on-month to $8.72 billion. SoC exports rose 5.2% year-on-year to $4.37 billion. ➁ The overall Information and Communication Technology exports in September 2024 increased by 24% year-on-year to $22.36 billion. ➂ HBM had a significant impact on DRAM export values, and TrendForce forecasts that memory price growth will slow in Q4.
➀ Samsung Electronics faces a crisis due to its organizational culture and lack of bold innovation;
➁ The company's focus on financial and legal aspects over technology has hindered its progress;
➂ Samsung's decision to withdraw from HBM (High Bandwidth Memory) was criticized for not being financially beneficial;
➃ The article highlights the challenges Samsung faces in packaging technology and its falling behind competitors like TSMC;
➅ The internal reporting process is lengthy and prone to distortion, affecting decision-making;
➆ Employees are leaving for better opportunities, especially in China;
➇ The article suggests that Samsung needs to revamp its management and focus on fostering a culture of innovation and open discussion.
➀ SK Hynix is scaling back its less profitable CMOS image sensor (CIS) and foundry businesses.
➁ The company has reduced R&D investment in CIS and cut production capacity by over half compared to last year.
➂ SK Hynix is reallocating resources to focus on high-margin HBM and AI memory.
➀ GDDR memory is a graphics-specific memory optimized for GPUs with higher bandwidth than DDR memory.
➁ HBM memory is a high-bandwidth memory designed for GPUs with larger memory bus width than GDDR memory.
➂ The choice between GDDR and HBM depends on the specific application scenario and cost considerations.
➀ The increase in HBM production in 2025 is expected to be limited, leading to a tighter supply.
➁ The reasons include adjustments in HBM production capacity, customization trends with a 40% die size penalty, and low yield of HBM3E 12hi and HBM4 from Samsung and Micron.
➂ The supply-demand ratio is expected to tighten further to -5% compared to the previous -1%, with SK Hynix expected to be a major beneficiary.
➀ Arm is exploring the feasibility of running LLMs on mobile devices; ➁ Arm's optimization techniques for LLMs on mobile; ➂ The importance of practical use cases for LLMs in mobile devices