An explanatory image of SK hynix's new iHBM technology / Courtesy of SK hynix
SK hynix on Tuesday revealed its new high bandwidth memory technology iHBM, which embeds a proprietary cooling element inside the HBM package to substantially reduce heat generation in artificial intelligence (AI) computing environments.
The company said heat management has become a critical bottleneck as HBM stacks more layers and operates at higher speeds to keep pace with surging AI workload demand.
Heat concentration is most acute at the die-to-die physical layer (D2D PHY), the high-speed data interface between the HBM base die and AI processor dies. Controlling power density in that zone has emerged as a key differentiator in next-generation HBM development.
iHBM addresses the problem by placing integrated cooling elements (ICE), directly within the D2D PHY area.
