AI and high-performance computing (HPC) are evolving at an unprecedented pace, pushing traditional memory technologies such as DRAM and NAND flash to their limits. To meet the growing demands of the AI era, the industry is exploring emerging memory technologies which go beyond traditional memory.

Among these new memory technologies, storage-class memory¹ (SCM) has emerged as a key development as it can bridge the performance gap between DRAM and NAND flash. Recognizing the potential of SCM, SK hynix has developed selector-only memory² (SOM), a groundbreaking innovation that redefines SCM and strengthens the company’s AI memory portfolio.

¹Storage-class memory: A class of emerging non-volatile memory technologies that combines the speed of DRAM with the persistent storage capabilities of NAND flash. It bridges the gap between DRAM and NAND flash in terms of performance, cost, and storage capacity.
²Selector-only memory (SOM): A cross-point memory device featuring a chalcogenide-based film which can perform both selector and memory functions.

This final episode of  Rulebreakers’ Revolutions  explores the journey behind SOM’s development, the key role of SK hynix’s rigorous R&D approach, and the implications for the future of AI and HPC.

The Mission: Going Beyond Traditional Memory With Next-Gen SCM

The AI era has sparked a data explosion. AI systems, from large language models³ (LLMs) to multimodal AI⁴, require high-performance memory to rapidly access and process this vast amount of data and perform complex computations. This next-generation performance must be balanced with affordability and energy-efficiency, placing further pressure on memory technologies.

³Large language model (LLM): Advanced AI systems trained on vast amounts of text data to understand and generate human-like text based on the context they are given.
⁴Multimodal AI: Machine learning models capable of processing and integrate different types of data, including text, audio, and video.

To meet these increasing demands, HPC systems are transitioning from traditional CPU-centric models to memory-centric architectures. By supporting data processing directly within memory, these memory-centric systems can minimize data movement to ultimately improve system performance and efficiency.

Amid this shift, the industry is exploring new memory technologies which can surpass the capabilities of traditional memory. Among them, SCM has emerged as a promising solution by bridging the performance gap between DRAM and NAND flash. As a non-volatile memory, SCM combines the speed and cost-efficiency of DRAM with the high capacity of NAND flash. Additionally, the advent of CXL^®5 technology has enabled seamless connections between memory and devices such as CPUs, GPUs, and accelerators, creating new opportunities for SCM adoption in advanced computing.

⁵Compute Express Link^®(CXL^®): A next-generation interface that connects the CPU, GPU, memory, and other components to efficiently enhance the performance of high-performance computing systems.

Recognizing the capabilities of the technology, SK hynix took on the challenge of developing a next-generation SCM product—SOM—which could revolutionize the industry.

SK hynix’s SOM goes beyond traditional memory, breaking the barriers to next-generation memory

Beyond 3DXP: Rigorous R&D and Collaboration Unlock SOM

Before developing SOM, SK hynix had made great progress with an alternative SCM technology—3D XPoint (3DXP). Developed in the mid-2010s, 3DXP was a non-volatile storage technology that used phase-change memory (PCM)⁶ to store data through changes in material resistance states. It employed a transistor-less, cross-point architecture⁷ featuring selectors⁸ and memory cells placed at the intersection of perpendicular wires. By stacking 3DXP cells in a three-dimensional architecture without transistors, the product offered high memory density.

⁶Phase-change memory (PCM): A technology which enables non-volatile electrical data storage at the nanometer scale. PCM memory switching involves heating materials so they switch between amorphous and crystalline states, which correspond to the binary digits 0 and 1, respectively.
⁷Cross-point architecture: A memory architecture where data is stored at the intersection, or “cross-point”, of two or more lines in a grid-like structure.
⁸Selector: A device in a memory array that regulates the flow of current to and from a memory cell. This enables precise access to a specific cell while blocking unwanted paths for more accurate read and write operations.

Despite the potential of 3DXP, SK hynix identified challenges regarding the product’s scalability beyond 20 nm process technology. As a result, the company switched its attention to an alternative next-generation SCM product.

The company set about developing SOM, a groundbreaking cross-point memory device that uses a single chalcogenide⁹ -based film, known as dual-functional material (DFM), to perform both selector and memory functions. Compared to 3DXP, SOM eliminates the need for the separate selector and PCM setup. Instead, selectors in SOM are deployed without standalone memory cells to improve selector functionality. Moreover, SOM utilizes an optimized cross-point array with lower cell stack aspect ratios¹⁰ for better scalability and higher memory density.

⁹Chalcogenide: A chemical compound consisting of at least one chalcogen anion, such as sulfur, and an electropositive element, such as metal.
¹⁰Aspect ratio: Height-to-width ratio of memory cells.

One of the biggest changes from 3DXP was the inclusion of DFM in place of phase-change material. As a result of this switch, SOM offers advanced specifications. Firstly, the write speed is significantly improved as DFM, unlike PCM, does not require time to perform phase changes. While PCM required a high write current for joule heating during phase transitions, the use of DFM significantly reduced the necessary write current. In addition, DFM offers increased stability when operating at high temperatures, reducing thermal disturbance¹¹. DFM’s improved heat resistance also ensures it offers enhanced cyclic endurance compared to PCM, boosting overall durability.

¹¹Thermal Disturbance: A phenomenon where heat generated while programming one memory cell unintentionally affects the state of neighboring cells due to heat diffusion, potentially disrupting their data integrity.

SOM replaces the phase-change material used in 3DXP with DFM

The successful development of SOM would not have been possible without SK hynix’s rigorous approach to R&D and smooth internal collaboration. For example, the company discovered DFM during research on chalcogenide-based selector and memory materials. By applying a new bipolar operation instead of the conventional unipolar operation, the team found it could achieve both selector and memory characteristics simultaneously.

The company’s R&D approach also enabled a significant reduction in SOM’s power consumption compared to pre-development expectations. When conventional optimization approaches proved insufficient, this prompted a radical reexamination of materials, design, and operational algorithms. In response, various research teams came together to collaborate on the project and develop new approaches. They tested the application of new materials and operational techniques through simulations, addressing any potential issues. This meticulous process cut power consumption by approximately one-third from initial predictions, a crucial advancement in the development of SOM.

Unveiling the World’s Smallest SOM

SK hynix has successfully developed the world’s smallest SOM, the first fully integrated¹² 16nm half-pitch¹³ SOM. This revolutionary achievement in the SCM field was presented at the prestigious 2024 IEEE Symposium on VLSI Technology and Circuits (2024 VLSI Symposium).

¹²Fully integrated: Complete integration of circuits and manufacturing processes at the cell array level, unlike basic single-cell prototypes in academic research.
¹³Half-pitch: Half of the minimum center-to-center distance between interconnect lines in a semiconductor.

Compared to 3DXP, SOM offers a reduction in write speed from 500 nanoseconds (ns) to 30 ns and write current, which dropped from 100 microamps (µA) to 20 µA. In addition, cyclic endurance increased from 10 million to over 100 million cycles, highlighting SOM’s increased durability. SOM was also shown to have advanced persistency, the ability to retain data under extreme conditions, as tests proved it could retain data for over 10 years at 125°C.

SOM offers outstanding capabilities from rapid write speed to advanced persistency

Significantly, the 16nm SOM is the smallest, most scalable and high-performing cross-point memory solution on the market. As the AI landscape continues its evolution, the successful development of SOM strengthens SK hynix’s AI memory leadership, complementing products such as HBM, AiMX, and CXL Memory Module (CMM)-DDR5.

Looking forward, the research behind SOM will contribute to broader advancements in next-generation memory technology. Its impact extends to the growing field of heterogeneous integration, enabling innovative system integration approaches that cater to AI data centers and diverse AI solution providers. As computing architectures shift towards memory-centric computing, SOM’s technological breakthroughs will play a crucial role in shaping the future of AI and HPC.

Rulebreaker Interview: Myoungsub Kim, Global Revolutionary Technology Center (RTC)

To find out more about the company’s innovative approach to SOM development, the SK hynix Newsroom spoke with Myoungsub Kim of the Global Revolutionary Technology Center (RTC), which conducts R&D of next-generation semiconductors. Kim discusses the major challenges faced when developing SOM as well as the rulebreaking mindset adopted by employees.

<Other articles from this series>

[Rulebreakers’ Revolutions] How MR-MUF’s Heat Control Breakthrough Elevated HBM to New Heights

[Rulebreakers’ Revolutions] How SK hynix Broke Barriers in Mobile DRAM Scaling With World-First HKMG Application

[Rulebreakers’ Revolutions] Innovative Design Scheme Helps HBM3E Reach New Heights

[Rulebreakers’ Revolutions] How SK hynix’s Server DRAM Validation Process Succeeds in a Diverse Server CPU Market

[Rulebreakers’ Revolutions] Flexible & Collaborative eSSD Virtualization Development for Today’s Data Centers

[Rulebreakers’ Revolutions] How SK hynix’s Design Innovations Pushed GDDR7 to New Limits of Speed

[Rulebreakers’ Revolutions] How CXL Tech Expands Data Center Memory Scaling Boundaries in the AI Era

The post [Rulebreakers’ Revolutions] How SK hynix’s SOM Paves the Way for Next-Gen Memory in the AI Era first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

Deepfake images. Voice phishing. Chatbot hacking. These are just some of a growing number of crimes involving the misuse of AI which have hit the headlines in recent years.

In response, there has been an increased focus on AI guardrails—the tools and protocols required to ensure the responsible and ethical use of AI. However, the establishment of such guardrails raises significant ethical challenges for developers, including the difficulty of making moral judgements in a world of differing cultures and standards.

This article will cover the potential and ethical considerations of AI guardrail solutions as well as the need for growing global consensus going forward.

The Growing Challenge of AI Security

While the growing sophistication of AI has brought about numerous benefits, it has also led to a rise in the misuse of AI and related crimes. Taking chatbots as an example, there have been cases around the world of applications failing to filter unethical language, accepting it, and even generating hate speech. One common factor among these incidents and other AI crimes is malicious human interference and its influence on AI learning.

While early AI applications operated within predefined choices set by developers, providing only multiple-choice responses, recent deep-learning-based generative AI programs can tap into trained datasets to provide descriptive answers. However, as AI becomes more intelligent, crimes exploiting it are also becoming more sophisticated. As a result, developers are now anticipating various attack methods and devising countermeasures.

Palo Alto Networks, a U.S. company providing app-based security policies, recently shared a new hacking technique dubbed “Deceptive Delight” capable of compromising LLMs¹. The technique, a type of prompt injection², involves gradually inserting harmful requests among benign ones in a positive context to bypass an AI model’s safety measures until it generates unsafe content. Notably, the Deceptive Delight technique successfully circumvented safety guardrails within just three interaction turns in 65% of 8,000 test cases. Such prompt injections are not limited to tests, however, as there are a growing number of real-world cases involving extracting dangerous information which could cause harm and even endanger lives.

¹Large Language Model (LLM): Advanced AI systems trained on vast amounts of text data to understand and generate human-like text based on the context they are given.
²Prompt injection: A cyberattack against LLMs in which hackers disguise malicious inputs as legitimate prompts, manipulating systems into generating private or unsafe content.

An overview of Palo Alto Networks’ “Deceptive Delight” technique, which resulted in the chatbot generating unsafe content (Source: Palo Alto Networks)

These cases raise the question: Is there a technology that can prevent AI-related crimes worldwide? To answer this, developers inevitably face profound ethical and philosophical dilemmas. In a world where creative crimes are emerging daily, what kind of ethical guidelines should be embedded in AI to ensure safety?

Every AI Developer’s Dilemma: The Regulatory Standards of AI Ethics

Good intentions in development do not necessarily guarantee a morally sound final product. For an LLM to engage in natural conversations, it requires hundreds of billions of data points, or tokens. Given the vast amount of data involved, there is a high risk of problematic data slipping in. One might think that such data should simply be excluded, but determining what is “problematic” is not always straightforward. Across the world, value judgments to determine morally “good” and “bad” data can vary by country and cultural background.

To illustrate the complexity of the situation, consider if AI were used to manage entry at a women-only gym. What criteria should the AI be trained on to determine a person’s gender? While it’s easy to say that “AI has been trained on biased data,” the issue is far from simple. There is no dataset that represents a universally unbiased perspective shared by everyone across the world.

The Best Defense is Offense: TUNiB’s AI Guardrail Solution

TUNiB offers a range of AI guardrail packages which specialize in different areas (Source: TUNiB)

Data refinement has been a key consideration of mine in my role as CEO of the South Korean AI startup TUNiB, which has developed over 50 types of chatbots. The company conceived its AI guardrail solution aware that, while data refinement alone is unable to prevent all AI crimes, it is a crucial first step. When TUNiB began development in 2021, content moderation was becoming a key consideration following the emergence of generative AI applications such as ChatGPT. OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, provided developers with content filtering tools which were tested to determine if they could accurately detect and block sensitive content such as hate speech and explicit material. In turn, TUNiB prioritized the development of a model for its solution package which detects hate speech in prompts and assesses the potential for personal data exposure.

However, the biggest challenge was handling prompt injections. While explicit and overtly malicious expressions are relatively easy to filter out, responding to indirect and sophisticated prompt attacks has only recently become an active area of research. Furthermore, the company had to overcome the lack of a standardized response model. With no clear guidelines, every developer will independently interpret and implement solutions. TUNiB therefore focused on building a systematic AI guardrail framework that consists of attack, detection, and defense mechanisms. By generating adversarial attacks, the company could better develop effective defense strategies against them.

In this system, the attack engine randomly generates aggressive statements and runs simulations. In response, the defense engine deploys an ethical safeguard to counteract these attacks. Automating this cycle allows real-time testing of the solution’s ability to detect and mitigate potential threats.

TUNiB’s AI guardrail solution includes six engines—Joker, St. Patrick, Lucy, Angel, Spamurai, and Guardian—which detect and respond to threats (Source: TUNiB)

Through the combined use of the attack and defense engine dialogue datasets, AI services can become more robust and ethical. In fact, TUNiB’s AI guardrail solution does not only include these two engines but a total of six interconnected AI engines (see above image) which each specialize in different areas of AI security. These six engines—Joker, St. Patrick, Lucy, Angel, Spamurai, and Guardian—work together in a continuous “attack-surveillance-detection-response” cycle.

As long as crime continues to evolve, solutions must constantly attack, defend, and update themselves. In the near future, AI solutions will become akin to vaccines—a critical defense mechanism which is continually updated to protect against emerging threats.

AI Guardrail Solutions in Everyday Life

The financial sector is one of the most promising industries for the adoption of AI guardrail solutions. While the solutions can detect external malware attacks that attempt to bypass security measures, they are expected to be particularly effective in identifying internal illicit activities. Financial institutions already have compliance monitoring teams that periodically oversee activities such as employee embezzlement and leaks of core technologies. However, it is nearly impossible to manually review conversations among thousands of employees, opening the door to AI solutions.

In comparison to traditional AI monitoring systems which are only capable of flagging pre-defined harmful keywords, AI guardrail solutions can precisely detect conversations that violate legal and ethical standards. They can also recognize indirect or metaphorical language and analyze context that requires deeper interpretation. As a result, major international banks such as JPMorgan have already begun implementing AI solutions to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing.

This naturally raises renewed discussions about privacy concerns. However, it is worth noting that most corporate messaging platforms already offer administrator versions, allowing companies to review employee communications with proper consent outlined in employment policies. In addition, one should consider whether an AI system poses a greater privacy threat than human administrators. A well-designed AI compliance system would operate objectively, reporting only problematic conversations to human administrators. These administrators would then only review flagged issues, ensuring a balanced approach between security and privacy.

The Future of Next-Generation AI Security Solutions

As research progresses, the focus inevitably shifts from software-based solutions to hardware considerations. This is because efficiently integrating sophisticated, value-based decision-making into AI solutions requires complex computations. From detecting attacks based on ethical judgment and storing data to accessing servers and transmitting information to administrators, AI systems demand increasingly faster processing speeds.

SK hynix’s advanced memory solutions such as HBM are key to enabling AI guardrail solutions

To enable the ultra-fast transmission of high volumes of data, it is vital to promote the adoption of HBM³ and increase the scalability of AI solutions. Once semiconductor processing capabilities reach a level where they can defend against large-scale attacks, the distinction between software and hardware responses may become blurred.

³High Bandwidth Memory (HBM): A high-value, high-performance product that possesses much higher data processing speeds compared to existing DRAMs by vertically connecting multiple DRAMs with through-silicon via (TSV).

Looking ahead, the next major challenge for the adoption of AI guardrail solutions will be developing high-performance memory solutions specialized for security to handle vast amounts of data.

Ethical AI Requires Broad Social Consensus

South Korea’s AI Safety Research Institute was established in November 2024 (Source: Ministry of Science and ICT)

Achieving safer AI solutions cannot rely solely on technological advancements. As AI development accelerates globally, debates are intensifying over its safety. While these academic debates may hold significance in research, they have not had a meaningful impact on the general public who often have limited access to information. AI education is therefore vital in promoting ethical AI adoption and responsible usage. Before this, however, we must establish shared ethical values across users and cultures.

Once again, the criteria for value judgment become crucial. To aid with this, South Korea has recently taken steps to strengthen its AI regulations. In May 2024, 11 global leaders signed the Seoul Declaration which established safety, innovation, and inclusivity as the three core principles of AI. In September 2024, the South Korean government announced plans to provide computing infrastructure to domestic AI companies as part of the sovereign AI initiative, which seeks to develop AI models that reflect Korea’s unique culture and strengths. In November of the same year, South Korea became the sixth country worldwide to establish an AI safety research institute.

All these measures are considered steps in the right direction. For AI to be safely integrated in our daily lives, mechanisms must be in place to address and correct its misuse. Just as societal progress is built on consensus, AI governance should be guided by collective agreements among stakeholders. The newly established state-led AI control tower in South Korea is expected to play this role. While it’s impossible to establish standards that everyone will unanimously agree on, setting baseline standards can provide necessary guidelines for the responsible development and use of AI.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of SK hynix.

The post The Future of AI Security: Reinventing Guardrails for a Safer Digital World first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

SK hynix participated in SEMICON^® Korea 2025, held at COEX in Seoul from February 19–21, sharing insights into semiconductor technology trends and reinforcing its AI memory leadership.

Organized by SEMI¹, SEMICON Korea has grown to become the country’s largest semiconductor exhibition since its launch in 1987. The event brings together semiconductor manufacturers, along with materials, components, and equipment companies, to exchange the latest technologies and trends. This year’s exhibition, themed “Lead the Edge to the New Era,” featured various exhibits and presentations which explored the technological edge needed to drive AI innovation.

¹SEMI: The global industry association with over 3,000 member companies worldwide across the semiconductor and electronics design and manufacturing supply chain.

Sharing Industry Expertise & Strengthening Collaboration

At the event, SK hynix experts provided insights on various topics ranging from next-generation memory to sustainable manufacturing technology.

These presentations covered emerging memory² technologies such as SOM³, HBM⁴ stacking technology, and advanced manufacturing methods. The employees also gave talks on fab automation, digital twin⁵ applications, and the company’s net zero initiatives, highlighting SK hynix’s commitment to innovation and sustainability.

²Emerging memory: A new class of memory technologies that differ from traditional DRAM and NAND flash, including RRAM, MRAM, PCM, and FeRAM.
³Selector-Only Memory (SOM): A cross-point memory device that integrates both selector and memory functions using a dual-function material (DFM).
⁴High Bandwidth Memory (HBM): A high-value, high-performance product that possesses much higher data processing speeds compared to existing DRAMs by vertically connecting multiple DRAMs with through-silicon via (TSV).
⁵Digital twin: A technology that creates a virtual replica of a physical object, allowing simulations to predict real-world outcomes.

Meanwhile, SK hynix CEO Kwak Noh-Jung, in his capacity as Chairman of the Korea Semiconductor Industry Association (KSIA), attended the leadership dinner on the first day of the exhibition. Kwak engaged with global semiconductor leaders and executives at the dinner, fostering stronger industry collaboration and partnerships.

During his congratulatory speech, Kwak emphasized the growing need for the semiconductor industry to adapt in the AI era and meet future challenges and opportunities.

“Semiconductors are a crucial resource that drives both the global economy and national security. Their importance has grown even further in the AI era,” he said.

“In line with this year’s theme, Lead the Edge to the New Era, companies across the industry need to continue expanding new technologies and possibilities to prepare for the future.”

Leading the New Era

At SEMICON Korea 2025, SK hynix underscored its pivotal role in shaping the future of semiconductor technology. By sharing insights on cutting-edge memory technologies and sustainable practices, the company not only reinforced its AI memory leadership but also demonstrated its commitment to driving industry-wide innovation. As the industry continues to evolve, SK hynix is poised to lead the charge toward a more advanced and sustainable era.

The post SK hynix at SEMICON Korea 2025: Addressing the Future of Semiconductors first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

SK hynix’s youth classical music group, the hy-classic Chamber Ensemble¹ (hy-classic), held its New Year’s concert at SUPEX Hall on the company’s Icheon campus on January 23.

¹Chamber ensemble: A classical music group specializing in chamber music typically featuring up to 10 members. These small ensembles are popular due to their numerous performance opportunities and strong potential for professional growth in the performing arts.

The event, attended by more than 450 employees including Vice President Sangrok Jung, head of Corporate Relations, and Heart to Heart Foundation Chairman Jichul Oh, featured a captivating classical music performance by six hy-classic scholarship recipients and their professional mentors. Violinists Jooa Kim and Minju Seo, violist Eunseo Cho, cellists Ian Jang and Yeram Kim, and pianist Sumin Ha all took to the stage alongside their mentors: violinist Soojin Han, cellist Joonho Shim, and pianist Dohyun Kim.

Giving Hopes & Dreams to Young Classical Musicians

The concert was held to not only highlight the results of the hy-classic’s extensive hard work and preparation, but also to show appreciation for SK hynix employees.

The hy-classic, SK hynix’s social contribution program dedicated to fostering classical music talent, is funded by the Happiness Sharing Fund, a voluntary initiative supported by employees. Since 2011, the fund has operated a grant system in which SK hynix matches employee donations. The fund supports a range of causes including aid for underprivileged communities, environmental conservation, and educational scholarships.

Beyond scholarships and educational support, the program also provides professional mentoring from a distinguished team of world-class musicians including Han, Shim, and Kim.

Violinist Soojin Han (left), a hy-classic mentor, performing with scholarship students

At the concert, violinist Han, the head of the mentor group, expressed her hopes for the event. “Music is not only a means of personal growth but also a force that creates a better world,” she said. “I hope this concert encourages the scholars to overcome any challenges and pursue their dreams.”

Vice President Sangrok Jung praised the hy-classic students for their efforts during his opening remarks

In his opening remarks, Vice President Jung stated: “The concert was made possible by the efforts and passion of the hy-classic scholarship students, as well as the warm support of our employees. I hope that through this event, many people can share in the joy of music and the value of hope created by the Happiness Sharing Fund.”

Heart to Heart Foundation Chairman Jichul Oh expressed gratitude to employees for supporting the program

Heart to Heart Foundation Chairman Oh said: “The hy-classic is a special program that provides opportunities for promising classical music performers to pursue their dreams. I would like to once again express my gratitude to SK hynix and its employees for their support in fostering young talents in the cultural and artistic fields.”

A Vibrant Fusion of Technology & Art on Stage

The concert featured a dynamic blend of classical chamber music masterpieces alongside AI-composed works, showcasing a fusion of technology and art.

hy-classic scholars performing on stage

In the opening performance, the scholarship students showcased their refined skills with pieces by Beethoven and Smetana.

The students performing their AI-composed piece, Winter Story

The ensemble followed that performance with one of the highlights of the concert—the premiere of an AI-composed piece titled Winter Story. This piece was created by the scholarship students, who developed the melody using AI composition software and completed it through an arrangement with their mentors. This use of AI technology highlights the hy-classic’s innovative approach to education which helps to foster students’ creativity.

Violist Eunseo Cho, a scholarship student who participated in the program, said: “Using the AI program opened up new possibilities for composing music, and I was particularly impressed by how technology can be merged with music to boost our creativity.

“While collaborating with friends to complete the piece, I learned the joy of creating music together. This experience has encouraged me to become a chamber musician and move audiences through my performances.”

The mentors performing on stage (from left: violinist Soojin Han, pianist Dohyun Kim, and cellist Junho Shim)

The mentors, Han, Shim, and Kim, also took to the stage, captivating the audience with their rendition of a piece by Mendelssohn.

The mentors joined the scholars for a special performance

For the concert’s finale, the mentors and students came together for a joint performance. Facing each other on stage, they performed pieces by Tchaikovsky and the soundtrack from The Mission in a performance which deeply moved the audience.

Employees enjoying the concert

Chanwoo Jeong, team leader of HBM PKG PTE, who attended the concert, said: “I have donated to the Happiness Sharing Fund since the Happiness Sharing Orchestra With Dreams project, which was the predecessor to the hy-classic program. It all brings me back to my school days when I had dreams of becoming a musician.

“I hope that through the hy-classic program, these talented students will become wonderful musicians who can give people hope and bring about a positive change to society.”

Another audience member, Technical Leader Hyojin Seo of Quality Intelligence, said: “I remember how I was able to overcome financial difficulties with the help of my seniors while participating in a music club during my school days. Now that I can provide such help to others, I find greater meaning in donating to the Happiness Sharing Fund.”

Technical Leader Jooyoung Kim of CIS Product Validation, who also attended the concert, said: “The goals of the Happiness Sharing Fund have always resonated with me. The program provides hope and opportunities to many people, and I have regularly donated to the cause. By attending the concert, I could witness first-hand that the fund is being well utilized and truly feel the significance of the program.

“It is touching to see how small contributions combine to nurture young people’s talents and dreams, bringing about such a wonderful outcome. I believe that the greatest strength of the fund lies in the fact that these heartfelt contributions help shape people’s future.”

The concert showcased the fruitful results of SK hynix’s efforts to nurture young classical musicians. The company will continue to pursue various social contribution activities to foster young talents in the cultural and artistic fields, as well as promoting social value and striving for the mutual growth of its employees and the local community.

The post A Symphony for the Future: SK hynix’s Youth Chamber Ensemble Performs New Year’s Concert first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

The world runs on data—a ceaseless tide of ones and zeros surging through networks, powering everything from streaming services to AI. To handle this data deluge, data centers must employ more advanced memory solutions that meet ever-growing performance demands.

However, traditional methods of scaling memory are facing limitations. The constraints of processors and memory technologies, coupled with escalating costs and power consumption for data centers, have highlighted the need for a revolutionary approach. Enter Compute Express Link^® (CXL^®), a transformative memory interconnect technology designed to tackle the challenges of the AI era.

This Rulebreakers’ Revolutions  episode will cover SK hynix’s development of CXL solutions, detailing how the company overcame obstacles, such as a lack of industry specifications, to become a leader in the CXL field and a key contributor to the CXL ecosystem.

Mission: Harnessing New Interconnect Tech for Memory Scaling

In the AI era, data centers need to continuously expand their memory capacity to handle ever-growing volumes of data. However, scaling memory capacity through traditional methods is becoming prohibitively expensive and inefficient. For example, adding terabyte (TB)-scale memory to a single CPU system can significantly increase the total cost of ownership¹ (TCO) and power consumption. Attempting to address this by increasing memory channels or integrating higher capacity memory often results in even greater power usage and heat generation, further inflating cooling system and management costs. This has underlined the need for innovative memory system designs which can process data faster, more efficiently, and cost effectively.

¹Total cost of ownership: The complete cost of acquiring, operating, and maintaining an asset, including purchase, energy, and maintenance expenses.

Data center memory capacity needs to increase to handle the growing demands of the AI era

Over the past decade, the industry has been developing new memory interconnect technologies to meet this market demand. Memory interconnect technology refers to the method by which processors exchange data with memory, playing a critical role in determining the speed and efficiency of data processing. In traditional memory architectures, memory is physically connected to a nearby single processor, which can lead to an over-provision of memory resources when applications are not using the memory. New memory interconnect technologies such as CXL can overcome this issue by allowing multiple processors to share memory for improved efficiency.

This has led to great interest in CXL, however developing the technology would prove challenging as there was no precedent for the process and initially no industry-established specifications. Without the JEDEC² specifications which are generally provided for DRAM products, the development process for CXL was fundamentally more complex than usual.

²JEDEC Solid State Technology Association: With over 350 member companies, JEDEC is the global leader in developing open standards for the microelectronics industry.

Faced with having to develop new CXL products without industry specifications to break the barriers of memory scaling, SK hynix tapped into its internal expertise and collaborated with industry partners.

Into the Unknown: Developing Pioneering CXL Tech From Scratch

Following the introduction of CXL in 2019, SK hynix soon recognized the technology’s capability to meet ever-growing memory scaling needs. As an open industry-standard interconnect, CXL unifies the interfaces of different system devices such as memory, storage, and processors. It supports features such as memory sharing, allowing multiple processors to access the same memory for improved data sharing, and memory pooling, in which memory from a common pool is assigned to processors for enhanced efficiency. Furthermore, CXL also enables memory switching, allowing hundreds of devices such as processors to share memory resources while independently processing data.

In addition to these innovative features, SK hynix became further convinced of CXL’s immense potential after observing increased market and customer commitment to the technology and identifying its promise in addressing technical and cost challenges. However, the company had to begin the project by overcoming a significant obstacle—a lack of industry specifications. SK hynix therefore soon set about developing its own basic requirement document after participating in CXL standardization activities and working with customers to define specifications. The company also collaborated with CXL controller companies to define controller requirements for the specifications document. Furthermore, the company has worked with JEDEC and the CXL Consortium³ to enhance DRAM-related specifications for industry CXL standards.

³CXL Consortium: An open industry standards group that develops technical specifications for CXL.

SK hynix’s CXL technology overcomes memory scaling challenges by expanding system capacity and bandwidth

Having helped set industry standards and develop relevant specifications, the company has accelerated its CXL development. For this process, SK hynix has identified key criteria to meet customer requirements—cost efficiency, high capacity, optimized bandwidth, and reliability.

First, cost efficiency is paramount in CXL development. To counteract the high cost of CXL controllers, it is crucial to minimize the costs of memory media such as modules. As high capacity is essential to facilitate large-scale data processing, the company determined CXL memory should offer storage two to four times larger than existing DDR products. Furthermore, bandwidth design must be optimized to utilize the full performance potential of CXL modules. Finally, reliability and data integrity must match the high standards of the host memory to earn customer trust.

To meet these criteria, multiple departments across SK hynix are working on making terabyte-scale memory more affordable and efficient. This includes pioneering memory pooling technologies that enable resource sharing among multiple devices and developing NMP⁴ technologies to handle data close to its source. These innovations are poised to deliver significant benefits to applications such as high-performance computing (HPC), in-memory databases, and AI.

⁴Near-memory processing (NMP): A technique that performs computations near data storage, reducing latency and boosting performance in high-bandwidth tasks like AI and HPC.

Through these efforts, SK hynix has been able to advance the development of groundbreaking CXL products which are set to revolutionize the memory field.

SK hynix’s Growing Product Lineup Driving the Future of CXL

Since developing its first DDR5-based CXL sample in 2022, SK hynix has been strengthening its CXL portfolio which includes the innovative CXL Memory Module-Double Data Rate 5 (CMM-DDR5). Leveraging high-speed PCIe Gen5 connections, CMM-DDR5 ensures smooth and rapid data processing. Available with up to 128 GB of storage, CMM-DDR5 also offers the high capacity required for the demands of today’s AI and HPC applications. In addition, the module boasts high levels of power efficiency and security.

Real-world performance tests highlight the transformative impact of CMM-DDR5. The product can expand system bandwidth by up to 82% and capacity by up to 100% compared to systems equipped with only DDR5 DRAM. Tests also showed how AI workloads experienced a 31% increase in token per second performance and that HPC enjoyed a 33% improvement in throughput efficiency. As well as providing outstanding performance, CMM-DDR5 has aligned with both JEDEC and CXL Consortium standards. Currently, the verification and certification of CMM-DDR5 is being carried out by customers as the product moves closer to mass production.

SK hynix’s CXL-based CMM-DDR5 enhances AI and HPC performance

SK hynix’s other CXL solutions include Niagara 2.0, an integrated hardware and software solution that allows multiple hosts to efficiently share large memory pools to minimize unused or underutilized memory. Furthermore, CXL Memory Module-Ax (CMM-Ax), a high-performance memory module optimized for computational workloads, is notable for improving AI and data center efficiency.

Beyond hardware advancements, SK hynix has developed the Heterogeneous Memory Software Development Kit (HSMDK) to maximize the potential of its CXL memory. This software toolkit has even been integrated into Linux’s operating system, further enhancing its accessibility and usability. The development of both hardware and software solutions as well as its standardization efforts highlights how SK hynix is committed to creating a thriving CXL ecosystem.

Rulebreaker Interview: “Thomas” Wonha Choi, Next-Gen Memory & Storage

In an interview with the SK hynix Newsroom, Distinguished Engineer⁵ (DE) “Thomas” Wonha Choi of Next-Gen Memory & Storage discussed the company’s rulebreaking mentality for developing CXL technology. Responsible for standardization efforts with JEDEC and the CXL Consortium and pathfinding next-generation memory such as CXL, Choi spoke about CXL’s development and its future impact.

⁵Distinguished Engineer: Senior SK hynix engineers who excel in their fields and are tasked with solving technical challenges and mentoring the next generation.

<Other articles from this series>

[Rulebreakers’ Revolutions] How MR-MUF’s Heat Control Breakthrough Elevated HBM to New Heights

[Rulebreakers’ Revolutions] How SK hynix Broke Barriers in Mobile DRAM Scaling With World-First HKMG Application

[Rulebreakers’ Revolutions] Innovative Design Scheme Helps HBM3E Reach New Heights

[Rulebreakers’ Revolutions] How SK hynix’s Server DRAM Validation Process Succeeds in a Diverse Server CPU Market

[Rulebreakers’ Revolutions] Flexible & Collaborative eSSD Virtualization Development for Today’s Data Centers

[Rulebreakers’ Revolutions] How SK hynix’s Design Innovations Pushed GDDR7 to New Limits of Speed

The post [Rulebreakers’ Revolutions] How CXL Tech Expands Data Center Memory Scaling Boundaries in the AI Era first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

The post [CES 2025 Video] Ride the AI Wave With SK hynix first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

• Signs an agreement at CES 2025 to promote joint R&D and business of AI data center solutions
• Company to overcome the limitations of memory technology and lead the expansion of the global AI ecosystem through business cooperation

SEOUL, January 10, 2025

SK hynix Inc. (or ‘the company’, www.skhynix.com) announced on the 10th that it signed an agreement with SK Telecom and Penguin Solutions in Las Vegas on the 9th (local time) to promote joint R&D and business of AI data center solutions.

The signing ceremony was attended by key executives including SKT CEO Ryu Young-sang, Penguin Solutions CEO Mark Adams, and SK hynix AI Infrastructure President Justin Kim.

Penguin Solutions is a leading company specializing in AI data center solutions, which builds and manages customized data centers for companies that provide AI services.

Through this partnership, the three companies aim to pioneer new markets and take part in R&D and commercialization of solutions, to reach the goal of expansion in AI data centers. SK hynix also plans to work closely in the field of developing next-generation memory products for data centers to expand its HBM competitiveness.

Innovation of semiconductor memory technology is essential for the efficient operation of AI data centers, and improving power efficiency and heat dissipation performance is considered as a key challenge. Through collaboration with SK Telecom and Penguin Solutions, SK hynix plans to overcome the limitations of memory technology and lead the expansion of global AI ecosystem.

SK hynix AI Infrastructure President Justin Kim, SKT CEO Ryu Young-sang and Penguin Solutions CEO Mark Adams

About SK hynix Inc.

SK hynix Inc., headquartered in Korea, is the world’s top-tier semiconductor supplier offering Dynamic Random Access Memory chips (“DRAM”), flash memory chips (“NAND flash”), and CMOS Image Sensors (“CIS”) for a wide range of distinguished customers globally. The Company’s shares are traded on the Korea Exchange, and the Global Depository shares are listed on the Luxemburg Stock Exchange. Further information about SK hynix is available at www.skhynix.com, news.skhynix.com.

Media Contact

SK hynix Inc.
Global Public Relations

Technical Leader
Sooyeon Lee
E-Mail: global_newsroom@skhynix.com

Technical Leader
Kanga Kong
E-Mail: global_newsroom@skhynix.com

The post SK hynix Partners With SK Telecom and Penguin Solutions to Drive AI Data Center Business first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

SK hynix has returned to Las Vegas for Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2025, showcasing its latest AI memory innovations reshaping the industry. Held from January 7–10, CES 2025 brings together the brightest minds and groundbreaking technologies from the world’s leading tech companies.

This year, the event’s theme is “Dive In,” inviting attendees to immerse themselves in the next wave of technological advancement. SK hynix is emphasizing how it is driving this wave through a display of leading AI memory technologies at the SK Group exhibit. Along with SK Telecom, SKC, and SK Enmove, the company is highlighting how the Group’s AI infrastructure brings about true change under the theme “Innovative AI, Sustainable Tomorrow.”

Groundbreaking Memory Tech Driving Change in the AI Era

SK hynix is underlining its AI memory leadership at CES 2025

Visitors enter SK Group’s exhibit through the Innovation Gate, greeted by a video of dynamic wave-inspired visuals which symbolize the power of AI. The video shows the transformation of binary data into a wave which flows through the exhibition, highlighting how data and AI drives change across industries.

Continuing deeper into the exhibit, attendees make their way into the AI Data Center area, the focal point of SK hynix’s display. This area features the company’s transformative memory products driving progress in the AI era. Among the cutting-edge AI memory technologies on display are SK hynix’s HBM¹, server DRAM, eSSD, CXL^®2, and PIM³ products.

¹High Bandwidth Memory (HBM): A high-performance memory that vertically stacks multiple DRAM chips with through-silicon via (TSV). HBM3E is the extended version of HBM3, the fourth generation following HBM, HBM2, and HBM2E.
²Compute Express Link^®(CXL^®): A next-generation interface that connects the CPU, GPU, memory, and other components to efficiently enhance the performance of high-performance computing systems.
³Processing-In-Memory (PIM): A next-generation technology that integrates computational capabilities into memory, addressing data movement bottlenecks in AI and big data processing.

The 48 GB 16-layer HBM3E takes center stage at the AI Data Center area

A sample of the company’s pioneering 16-layer HBM3E is prominently showcased at the event, highlighting SK hynix’s leadership in the HBM field. As the world’s largest capacity HBM, the 48 GB 16-layer HBM3E, which is currently under development, is optimized for AI learning and inference. Visitors can also check out DDR5 RDIMM and MCR DIMM, high-speed server DRAM modules tailored for data center environments which offer rapid data processing and large memory capacity.

SK hynix’s cutting-edge AI memory technologies on display

As data storage becomes ever more crucial in the AI landscape, SK hynix is also showcasing its eSSD (enterprise SSD) solutions, including PS1010, PEB110, and PE9010. Designed for data centers, these products offer the reliability and rapid read/write speeds needed to handle the immense data generated by AI applications. Additionally, SK hynix is presenting its groundbreaking CXL technologies, such as CMM-DDR5⁴ and CMM-Ax⁵, which are pushing the boundaries of memory interfaces for enhanced flexibility and scalability in AI systems. Also on display are PIM solutions including GDDR6-AiM and AiMX⁶, a high-speed, low-power accelerator card which performs computational functions, revolutionizing data processing efficiency in AI environments.

⁴CXL Memory Module-DDR5 (CMM-DDR5): A next-generation DDR5 memory module utilizing CXL technology to boost bandwidth and performance for AI, cloud, and high-performance computing.
⁵CXL Memory Module-Ax (CMM-Ax): A high-performance memory module optimized for computational workloads, improving AI and data center efficiency.
⁶Accelerator-in-Memory Based Accelerator (AiMX): SK hynix’s specialized accelerator card tailored for large language model processing using GDDR6-AiM chips.

Visitors can also check out the company’s innovative on-device AI solutions

SK hynix is also showcasing its on-device AI solutions⁷ to highlight the AI service applications of its products. These include LPCAMM2⁸, the mobile NAND solution ZUFS⁹ 4.0, and PCB01—the industry’s highest-performing SSD for on-device AI PCs. Through these displays, SK hynix is underlining how these technologies deliver top performance with power efficiency, empowering a range of applications from mobile AI to consumer electronics.

⁷On-device AI: A technology that enables real-time AI processing directly on devices, enhancing responsiveness and delivering personalized services without relying on cloud-based computation.
⁸Low Power Compression Attached Memory Module 2 (LPCAMM2): LPDDR5X-based module solution that offers power efficiency and high performance as well as space savings. It offers performance levels equivalent to two DDR5 SODIMMs, making it optimized for on-device AI.
⁹Zoned Universal Flash Storage (ZUFS): An advanced version of UFS that improves data management efficiency by organizing data into zones, optimizing transfer between the operating system and storage device.

A Pioneer for a Sustainable Future

As CES 2025 unfolds, SK hynix’s presence once again cements its position as a leader in AI memory solutions. Through its innovative products and visionary approach, the company is demonstrating the essential role memory plays in the growing AI ecosystem. At CES 2025, SK hynix is not just showcasing products, but also offering a glimpse into a future where AI drives sustainable progress across industries. Looking ahead, CEO Kwak Noh-Jung shared the company’s vision. “Driven by constant technological innovation and a robust product lineup tailored for the AI era, SK hynix is on track to becoming a full stack AI solution provider,” he said.

The post SK hynix Showcases AI-Driven Innovations for a Sustainable Tomorrow at CES 2025 first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

The post [CES 2025 Teaser Video] Dive Into the AI Wave With SK hynix first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.