• SK hynix to showcase technological capabilities, participating in the world’s largest consumer electronics show, CES 2025, from January 7-10
• Featuring a wide range of products driving the AI era, from HBM, the core of AI infrastructure, to next-gen memories like PIM
• Company to present new possibilities in the AI era through technological innovation and provide irreplaceable value

Seoul, January 3, 2025

SK hynix Inc. (or “the company”, www.skhynix.com) announced today that it will showcase its innovative AI memory technologies at CES 2025, to be held in Las Vegas from January 7 to 10 (local time).

A large number of C-level executives, including CEO Kwak Noh-Jung, CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) Justin Kim and Chief Development Officer (CDO) Ahn Hyun, will attend the event. “We will broadly introduce solutions optimized for on-device AI and next-generation AI memories, as well as representative AI memory products such as HBM and eSSD at this CES,” said Justin Kim. “Through this, we will publicize our technological competitiveness to prepare for the future as a ‘Full Stack AI Memory Provider¹’.”

¹Full Stack AI Memory Provider: Refers to an all-round AI memory provider, which provides comprehensive AI-related memory products and technologies

SK hynix will also run a joint exhibition booth with SK Telecom, SKC and SK Enmove, under the theme “Innovative AI, Sustainable Tomorrow.” The booth will showcase how SK Group’s AI infrastructure and services are transforming the world, represented in waves of light.

SK hynix, which is the world’s first to produce 12-layer HBM products for 5th generation and supply them to customers, will showcase samples of HBM3E 16-layer products, which were officially developed in November last year. This product uses the advanced MR-MUF process to achieve the industry’s highest 16-layer configuration while controlling chip warpage and maximizing heat dissipation performance.

In addition, the company will display high-capacity, high-performance enterprise SSD products, including the ‘D5-P5336’ 122TB model developed by its subsidiary Solidigm in November last year. This product, with the largest existing capacity, high power and space efficiency, has been attracting considerable interest from AI data center customers.

“As SK hynix succeeded in developing QLC²(Quadruple Level Cell)-based 61TB products in December, we expect to maximize synergy based on a balanced portfolio between the two companies in the high-capacity eSSD market” said Ahn Hyun, CDO at SK hynix. The company will also showcase on-device AI products such as ‘LPCAMM2³’ and ‘ZUFS 4.0⁴,’ which improve data processing speed and power efficiency to implement AI in edge devices like PCs and smartphones. The company will also present CXL and PIM (Processing in Memory) technologies, along with modularized versions, CMM(CXL Memory Module)-Ax and AiMX⁵, designed to be core infrastructures for next-generation data centers.

²QLC: NAND flash is divided into SLC (Single Level Cell), MLC (Multi Level Cell), TLC (Triple Level Cell), QLC (Quadruple Level Cell), and PLC (Penta Level Cell) depending on how much information is stored in one cell. As the amount of information stored increases, more data can be stored in the same area.
³Low Power Compression Attached Memory Module 2 (LPCAMM2): LPDDR5X-based module solution that provides power efficiency and high performance as well as space savings. It has the performance effect of replacing two existing DDR5 SODIMMs with one LPCAMM2.
⁴Zoned Universal Flash Storage (ZUFS): A NAND Flash product that improves efficiency of data management. The product optimizes data transfer between an operating system and storage devices by storing data with similar characteristics in the same zone of the UFS, a flash memory product for various electronic devices such as digital camera and mobile phone.
⁵Accelerator-in-Memory based Accelerator (AiMX): SK hynix’s accelerator card product that specializes in large language models using GDDR6-AiM chips

In particular, CMM-Ax is a groundbreaking product that adds computational functionality to CXL’s advantage of expanding high-capacity memory, contributing to improving performance and energy efficiency of the next-generation server platforms⁶.

⁶Platform: Refers to a computing system that integrates both hardware and software technologies. It includes all key components necessary for computing, such as the CPU and memory.

“The changes in the world triggered by AI are expected to accelerate further this year, and SK hynix will produce 6^th generation HBM (HBM4) in the second half of this year to lead the customized HBM market to meet the diverse needs of customers,” said Kwak Noh-Jung, CEO at SK hynix. “We will continue to do our best to present new possibilities in the AI era through technological innovation and provide irreplaceable value to our customers.”

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 to Unveil ‘Full Stack AI Memory Provider’ Vision at CES 2025 first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

• Development of PCB01, 5th generation of 8-channel PCIe, to be followed by mass production within this year
• PCB01, industry’s best SSD for PCs, optimized for on-device AI
• Advancement in NAND solution to extend success story of HBM, solidify leadership in AI memory space

Seoul, June 28, 2024

SK hynix Inc. (or “the company”, www.skhynix.com) announced today that it developed PCB01, an SSD product with the industry’s best specifications, for on-device AI¹ PCs.

The product marks the first case where the industry adopts the fifth generation of the 8-channel² PCIe³ technology and brings innovation to performance including the data processing speed.

¹On-device AI: a technology that implements AI functions on the device itself, instead of going through computation by a physically separated server. A smartphone’s direct collection and computation of information allows fast reactions of the AI performance, while promising an improved customized AI service.
²Channel: a route for the input/output of data between a NAND flash and a controller on the SSD. An increase in the number of channels leads to advancement of the PCIe to the next generations and an improvement in the data processing speed. A 4-channel SSD is typically adopted for the conventional PCs, while an 8-channel SSD is for high-performance PC.
³Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCle): a serial-structured, high-speed input/output interface used on the motherboard of digital devices

The company expects the latest advancement in the NAND solution space to add to its success stories in the high-performance DRAM area led by HBM, enhancing its leadership in the overall AI memory space.

With a validation process with a global PC customer underway, SK hynix plans to mass produce and start shipping the products to both corporate customers and general consumers within this year.

PCB01 comes with the capabilities of sequential read and write speeds of 14GB and 12GB per second, respectively, bringing the performance of an SSD to the level unseen before. The speeds allow the operation of a large language model⁴, or LLM, for AI training and inference, in a second.

⁴Large language model (LLM): a language model trained on vast amounts of data, which is essential for performance of generative AI tasks such as creating, summarizing, and translating texts.

The product also comes with an improvement in power efficiency of more than 30% compared with the previous generation, enhancing the stability of the large-scale AI computing tasks.

SK hynix also adopted the SLC⁵ caching for the production of PCB01. With the adoption of the technology that places the single-level cell, or SLC, in some parts of the NAND cell to accelerate performance, a PC user can experience a faster performance for both AI services and conventional computing.

The product is also equipped with the capability aimed at protecting personal data. SK hynix engineers built the root of trust⁶, or ROT, a security solution, in the PCB01 to prevent external cybersecurity attacks and forging and falsification of information, while protecting a user’s password.

⁵Single-level cell (SLC): a type of memory cell used in NAND flash that stores one bit of data in a single cell. As the amount of data stored increases, the memory cell becomes a multi-level cell (MLC), a triple-level cell (TLC), and a quad-level cell (QLC). An increase in the data storage means more data can be stored in the same area, but the speed and stability decreases. An SLC enables faster processing of selected data.
⁶Root of Trust (RoT): an area of the hardware that can always be trusted in terms of security, while enabling prevention of forging and falsification of information.

The company plans to launch PCB01 in three capacities – 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB.

Ahn Hyun, Head of the N-S Committee at SK hynix, said that numerous global providers of CPU for on-device AI PCs are requesting collaboration for compatibility validation process. “We will work towards enhancing our leadership as the global top AI memory provider also in the NAND solution space by successfully completing the customer validation and mass production of PCB01, which will be in the limelight.”

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 Luxembourg 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
Kanga Kong
E-Mail: global_newsroom@skhynix.com

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

The post SK hynix Develops PCB01 for Artificial Intelligence PCs first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

• Mass production of industry’s best-performing product for on-device AI smartphones to begin in 3Q
• Performance degradation over time improved, while lifetime increased by 40%
• SK hynix to expand leadership in AI memory space with strong presence in NAND solutions following success of HBM

Seoul, May 9, 2024

SK hynix Inc. (or “the company”, www.skhynix.com) announced today that it has developed the Zoned UFS, or ZUFS¹ 4.0, a mobile NAND solution product for on-device² AI applications.

¹Zoned Universal Flash Storage(ZUFS): A NAND Flash product that improves efficiency of data management. The product optimizes data transfer between an operating system and storage devices by storing data with similar characteristics in the same zone of the UFS, a flash memory product for various electronic devices such as digital camera and mobile phone
²On-Device AI: A technology that implements AI functions on the device itself, instead of going through computation by a physically separated server. A smartphone’s direct collection and computation of information allows fast reactions of the AI performance, while promising an improved customized AI service.

SK hynix said that the ZUFS 4.0, optimized for on-device AI from mobile devices such as smartphones, is the industry’s best of its kind. The company expects the latest product to help expand its AI memory leadership to the NAND space, extending its success in the high-performance DRAM represented by HBM.

The ZUFS is a differentiated technology that classifies and stores data generated from smartphones in different zones in accordance with characteristics. Unlike a conventional UFS, the latest product groups and stores data with similar purposes and frequencies in separate zones, boosting the speed of a smartphone’s operating system and management efficiency of the storage devices.

The ZUFS also shortens the time required to run an application from a smartphone in long hours use by 45%, compared with a conventional UFS. With the issue of degradation of read and write performance improved by more than four times, the lifetime of the product also increased by 40%.

The development of the technology dates back to 2019, before the arrival of the AI boom, when SK hynix started collaboration with a global platform service company on expectations for an increased demand for high-performance NAND solutions.

Following provision of the prototypes of ZUFS, SK hynix and the customer jointly developed the 4.0 product that qualifies the specifications by the Joint Electron Device Engineering Council, or JEDEC. SK hynix will commence mass production of the ZUFS 4.0 in the third quarter with an aim to provide to various on-device AI smartphones by global companies.

Ahn Hyun, Head of the N-S Committee at SK hynix, said that customers are requiring better memory options as big tech companies focus on development of the on-device products adopting their own generative AI applications. “SK hynix will continue to work toward strengthening its leadership as the global top AI memory provider by supplying high-performance NAND solutions that meet such higher requirements at a right time, while building up stronger partnership with leading ICT companies.”

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 Luxembourg 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
Kanga Kong
E-Mail: global_newsroom@skhynix.com

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

The post SK hynix Develops Next-Generation Mobile NAND Solution ZUFS 4.0 first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

• • SK hynix will develop PCB01, a PCIe Gen 5 SSD, in the first half of 2024 and launch the product this year
  • The company also presented the industry’s first volume-produced 12-layer HBM3E at GTC 2024
  • PCB01 strengthens SK hynix’s status as the world’s No. 1 AI memory provider in on-device AI as well as HBM

Figure 1. PCB01, SK hynix’s PCIe Gen 5 SSD, is optimized for PC original equipment manufacturers (OEMs)

SK hynix unveiled a new consumer product based on its latest solid-state drive (SSD), PCB01, which boasts industry-leading performance levels at GPU Technology Conference (GTC) 2024. Hosted by NVIDIA in San Jose, California from March 18–21, GTC is one of the world’s leading conferences for AI developers.

Applied to on-device AI¹ PCs, PCB01 is a PCIe² fifth-generation SSD which recently had its performance and reliability verified by a major global customer. After completing product development in the first half of 2024, SK hynix plans to launch two versions of PCB01 by the end of the year which target both major technology companies and general consumers.

¹On-device AI: The performance of AI computation and inference directly within devices such as smartphones or PCs, unlike cloud-based AI services that require a remote cloud server.
²Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe): A high-speed input/output interface with a serialization format used on the motherboard of digital devices.

Optimized for AI PCs, Capable of Loading LLMs Within One Second

Offering the industry’s highest sequential read speed of 14 gigabytes per second (GB/s) and a sequential write speed of 12 GB/s, PCB01 doubles the speed specifications of its previous generation. This enables the loading of LLMs³ required for AI learning and inference in less than one second.

³Large language model (LLM): As language models trained on vast amounts of data, LLMs are essential for performing generative AI tasks as they create, summarize, and translate texts.

To make on-device AIs operational, PC manufacturers create a structure that stores an LLM in the PC’s internal storage and quickly transfers the data to DRAMs for AI tasks. In this process, the PCB01 inside the PC efficiently supports the loading of LLMs. SK hynix expects these characteristics of its latest SSD to greatly increase the speed and quality of on-device AIs.

Figure 2. SK hynix’s PCIe Gen 5 SSD PCB01 is optimized for PC OEMs

PCB01 also offers a 30% improvement in power efficiency compared to its previous generation so it can effectively manage power from large-scale AI computations. In addition, SK hynix has applied single-level cell (SLC)⁴ caching technology to the product which enables some of the cells—the storage areas of NAND—to operate as SLCs with fast processing speeds. The technology allows selected data to be quickly read and written, speeding up the operation of AI services and general PC operations.

⁴Single-level cell (SLC): A type of memory cell used in NAND flash that stores one bit of data in a single cell. As the amount of data stored increases, the memory cell becomes a multi-level cell (MLC), a triple-level cell (TLC), and so on. Even though more data can be stored in the same area, the speed and stability decreases. SLC speeds up the processing of selected data.

Jae-yeun Yun, head of NAND Product Planning and Enablement at SK hynix, stated: “PCB01 will not only be highlighted for its use in AI PCs, but this high-performing product will also receive significant attention in the gaming and high-end PC markets,” he said. “Our much-anticipated product will allow us to solidify our position as the global no.1 AI memory provider not only in the HBM field but also in the on-device AI area.”

Figure 3. The PCB01-based product on display at GTC 2024

Alongside its PCB01-based product, SK hynix also introduced its next-generation flagship technologies and solutions at GTC 2024 including its 36 GB 12-layer HBM3E, CXL⁵, and GDDR7⁶. The display of HBM3E, the industry’s first fifth-generation HBM solution, follows the company’s announcement that it has begun volume production of the product. In addition, GDDR7 attracted much attention for doubling its bandwidth and improving its power efficiency by 40% compared to its predecessor GDDR6.

⁵Compute Express Link (CXL): An integrated interface that connects multiple devices such as memory, CPUs, GPUs, and accelerators all at once.
⁶GDDR7: The 7th generation of graphics memory that supports GPUs to work faster and more efficiently.

On top of presenting its world-class portfolio, SK hynix also held presentation sessions at GTC 2024. Technical Leader Seoyeong Jeong of HBM Marketing gave a talk titled “The Outlook of the HBM Market” where she shared insights on the importance of AI memory and its core technologies.

The post SK hynix Unveils Highest-Performing SSD for AI PCs at NVIDIA GTC 2024 first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.