The milestone positions Samsung to challenge competitors in the growing HBM4 sector
chosun.com, Apr. 16, 2025 –
Samsung Electronics’ foundry unit has stabilized test yields for the logic die powering next-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM4) chips. The milestone marks an important step as the company works to regain ground in the competitive HBM market.
Sources told Chosun Biz that test production yields for the logic die, manufactured using Samsung’s 4-nanometer foundry process, recently surpassed 40%. That represents a significant improvement compared to the initial yields for Baidu’s chip produced on the same process, which started in the mid-to-high teens.
Samsung’s Device Solutions (DS) division chief Jeon Young-hyun has reportedly sent a message of encouragement to the foundry team following the progress.
To enhance the performance of the logic die — which acts as the control unit for HBM4’s stacked memory chips — Samsung’s foundry business introduced several new processes. “A 40% initial test yield is a strong number — good enough to move ahead with business plans,” an industry official said, noting that yield rates typically start in the 10% range and improve with mass production.
Falling behind SK Hynix and Micron in the HBM3E market, Samsung is now betting heavily on HBM4 to regain ground. Unlike competitors that rely on Taiwan’s TSMC for their logic die production, Samsung leverages its own advanced foundry technology, giving it flexibility to customize chips for global tech giants and meet growing demand for tailor-made HBM solutions.
The success of Samsung’s HBM4 program will ultimately depend on the memory unit’s ability to mass-produce its sixth-generation 10-nanometer-class (1c) DRAM chips. HBM4 12-layer products combine the logic die with 1c DRAM. While rival SK Hynix uses previous-generation 1b DRAM for its HBM4, Samsung could gain a performance edge if it can stably produce 1c DRAM at scale.