Smaller. Faster. Higher bandwidth. Better performance. Today’s leading memory products are rapidly evolving to meet the intense demands of the AI era. However, these advancements bring with them a challenge which can hinder the development of next-generation products—excessive heat generation.

To tackle this issue, SK hynix made an unprecedented breakthrough by developing a new and innovative packaging technology called MR-MUF¹ that improves heat dissipation in chips. Applied to the company’s groundbreaking HBM² products since 2019, MR-MUF has set SK hynix aside from the competition. As the only company to use MR-MUF and having received excellent client evaluations for the heat dissipation characteristics of its HBM products which apply the technology, SK hynix has risen to the position of HBM market leader.

¹Mass reflow-molded underfill (MR-MUF): Mass reflow is a technology that connects chips together by melting the bumps between stacked chips. Molded underfill fills the gaps between stacked chips with protective material to increase durability and heat dissipation. Combining the reflow and molding process, MR-MUF attaches semiconductor chips to circuits and fills the space between chips and the bump gap with a material called liquid epoxy molding compound (EMC).
²High 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).

This Rulebreakers’ Revolutions episode will look at how the pioneering development of MR-MUF, particularly its new materials with high thermal conductivity, solved the problem of excessive heat generation in next-generation HBM products.

The Mission: Overcome the Problem of Heat Generation

As memory products evolve, heat generation becomes an increasingly pressing issue for several reasons. For example, the miniaturization of semiconductors negatively impacts heat dissipation due to the reduced surface area and increased power density. In the case of stacked DRAM products such as HBM, thermal resistance increases due to the longer heat transfer paths, while thermal conductivity is limited by the materials between chips. Moreover, the continuous advancements in speed and capacity result in increased heat generation.

The inability to sufficiently control heat in semiconductor chips can negatively impact a product’s performance, lifecycle, and functionality. This can become a serious concern for customers and significantly impact factors including productivity, energy costs, and competitiveness. Consequently, heat dissipation, along with capacity and bandwidth, has become a key consideration during the development of advanced memory products.

Attention has therefore turned to semiconductor packaging technology as one of its main functions is heat control. Up until the second generation of HBM, HBM2, SK hynix applied the industry-standard TC-NCF³ process to its HBM products. However, with advancements in HBM that required chips to become thinner to accommodate additional chip layers, the applied packaging technology needed to control higher levels of heat and pressure. Issues such as chip warpage due to pressure and thickness limitations in densely stacked products also needed to be addressed as SK hynix planned to develop its next-generation products. At this point, the company needed to think outside the box by developing a new packaging technology for its future products.

³Thermal compression non-conductive film (TC-NCF): A method of stacking chips by applying a film-like substance between chips. Heat and pressure are applied to melt the substance so chips are glued together.

MR-MUF & Its New Materials: The Missing Pieces to the Heat Control Puzzle

As SK hynix was developing HBM2E, the third generation of HBM, controlling heat became a major focal point for improvement. Even when TC-NCF was being recognized as a packaging solution suitable for densely stacked products, SK hynix challenged the status quo and strove to develop a new packaging technology offering improved heat dissipation. After countless tests and trials, the company unveiled its new packaging technology MR-MUF in 2019 which would change the future of the HBM market.

The structural difference between TC-NCF and MR-MUF that influence heat dissipation

Developed by multiple teams at SK hynix, MR-MUF heats and interconnects all the vertically stacked chips in HBM products at once. This makes it more efficient than TC-NCF which applies a film-type material after each chip is stacked. Moreover, MR-MUF increases the number of thermal dummy bumps—which are effective at dispersing heat—by up to four times compared to TC-NCF.

Another important feature of MR-MUF is the addition of a protective material called EMC⁴ used to fill the spaces between chips. A thermosetting polymer with excellent mechanical and electrical insulation as well as heat resistance, EMC addressed the need for high environmental reliability and control over chip warpage. Due to the application of MR-MUF, HBM2E improved heat dissipation performance by 36% compared to its predecessor, HBM2.

⁴Epoxy molding compound (EMC): A heat dissipation material based on epoxy resin, a type of thermosetting polymer, that seals semiconductor chips to protect them from environmental factors such as heat, moisture, and shock.

Although MR-MUF was also used for HBM2E’s successor, the 8-layer HBM3, SK hynix elevated the MR-MUF process to another level when developing the 12-layer HBM3 in 2023. As the DRAM chips had to be 40% thinner than the chips used in the 8-layer HBM3 in order to maintain the product’s overall thickness, chip warpage became a significant issue. SK hynix actively responded by developing Advanced MR-MUF, introducing the industry’s first chip control technology⁵ and new protective materials that improved heat dissipation. In this process, SK hynix once again achieved innovation in materials as the new EMC applied in Advanced MR-MUF offered a 1.6-time improvement in heat dissipation properties compared to the EMC for the original MR-MUF.

⁵Chip control technology: The application of a momentary burst of high heat to each chip as it is stacked, causing the bump under the top chip to fuse to a thin pad on top of the bottom chip. The pad holds the chip together and protects it from warpage.

With Heat Control, SK hynix Mass-Produces Highest Level of HBM

A timeline of HBM’s multiple generations and progress in heat dissipation

Starting with the development of HBM2E, the application of MR-MUF and the subsequent Advanced MR-MUF enabled SK hynix to produce the industry’s highest standards of HBM products. Fast-forward to 2024, SK hynix became the first company to mass-produce HBM3E, the latest HBM product which boasts the highest standards of performance. HBM3E saw a 10% improvement in heat-dissipation performance compared with its previous generation, the 8-layer HBM3, following the application of Advanced MR-MUF to become the in-demand memory product in the AI era. Looking ahead, the company is set to maintain its HBM leadership as it has announced plans to bring forward the mass production of the next-generation HBM4 to 2025.

Rulebreaker Interview: Kyoung-Moo Harr, HBM Package Product

To find out more about the original approach which led to the development of MR-MUF and advancement of HBM, the SK hynix newsroom spoke with Technical Leader Kyoung-moo Harr of HBM Package Product. Having actively supported the development of MR-MUF through exploration, testing, and verification of new materials, Harr discusses the impact of this innovative process.

<Other articles from this series>

[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

The post [Rulebreakers’ Revolutions] How MR-MUF’s Heat Control Breakthrough Elevated HBM to New Heights first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

• SK hynix won the IT/Electrical category at the 2023 R&D 100 Awards for its Key Value Computational Storage Drive (KV-CSD)
• Featuring the world’s first application of indexing technology, the KV-CSD assigns key values to data to significantly speed up data classification and processing
• Due to its ultra-fast performance, the product is expected to contribute to AI, big data, and high-performance computing
• SK hynix’s technical team behind the KV-CSD will strive to make its technology a global standard to enhance the company’s competitiveness

SK hynix won the IT/Electrical category at the 2023 R&D 100 Awards held in San Diego, California on November 16 for its next-generation Key Value Computational Storage Drive (KV-CSD).

Referred to as the “Oscars of Innovation” by those in industry and academia, the R&D 100 Awards is an annual science and technology awards ceremony that recognizes the year’s 100 most innovative technologies and products in the world.

▲SK hynix’s KV-CSD featuring the industry’s first indexing technology and a controller that supports its data computation

SK hynix collaborated with the U.S.-based Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL)¹ for the KV-CSD project, as the company handled product development while LANL created the system that applied the KV-CSD to supercomputers.

The product has garnered significant attention in the high-performance computing (HPC) field for its rapid read/write speeds that enables it to process several petabytes (PB)² of data in minutes, as well as its self-computing capability which ensures swift data analysis.

The KV-CSD also grabbed headlines for its world-first adoption of indexing technology which dramatically increases data retrieval speed. When storing a single file, data is normally split and stored in multiple blocks³. However, indexing technology applies unique keys to the split data so that the indexing criteria can be used to quickly collect and process the data. Consequently, KV-CSD is up to 7.4 times faster than conventional storage devices such as solid-state drives (SSDs) which collect data and search for it block-by-block.

¹Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL): A national laboratory under the U.S. Department of Energy which conducts research on national security, nuclear fusion, and space exploration.
²Petabyte: A petabyte is equal to 1 million gigabytes.
³Block: A space where data is stored in a storage device. The smallest unit of data storage is a cell, and a collection of cells is a page. A group of pages is called a block. A storage device such as an SSD is composed of several blocks.

“As a next-generation storage device that delivers only the desired results to the CPU after completing rapid processing and data analysis based on key values and indexing technology, the KV-CSD will prove to be valuable for HPC, AI, and big data industries that process large amounts of data,” said Project Leader Woosuk Chung of the Computational Storage team at SK hynix. “We will focus on commercializing the product so that it can be used in various fields.”

A Meaningful Step Forward: Presenting Advanced Storage Tech to the World

▲ Members of SK hynix’s Computational Storage team who developed the KV-CSD (from left to right); Woosuk Chung, Soonyeal Yang, Inhyuk Park, and Taejin Oh

The next generation of storage devices is being developed based on several key concepts. These include processing data in a location close to the CPU, having memory itself compute data rather than the CPU, and many more. Storage devices that compute data themselves are called computational storage drives (CSDs), and KV-CSD falls in this category.

The Computational Storage team claims that receiving the award was even more special as it took a lot of trial and error to integrate new technologies into existing CSDs during the development of the KV-CSD.

“We are proud to have received a global award that is coveted by many global research institutes and companies,” said Chung. “Above all, winning the award is significant as it introduced SK hynix’s outstanding storage technology to the world.”

Solving Customers’ Pain Points: Reducing Data Processing Time

The KV-CSD further enhances SK hynix’s reputation as a solution provider as the product solves a crucial pain point for customers by dramatically reducing big data processing time.

▲ Team Leader Woosuk Chung points out the strong features of KV-CSD

“Our customer LANL’s main issue was that the processing speed would slow down when large amounts of data was stored and analyzed due to unnecessary data reading,” explained Chung. “The solution was to increase the processing speed of the CSD, so we proposed a storage device based on key values and indexing.”

▲ Soonyeal Yang talks about the distinct features of the KV-CSD

In particular, indexing technology was instrumental. On top of going through the tough task of implementing key-value storage, the team broke new ground to perform the world’s first integration of indexing technology in a storage device.

“With conventional SSDs, it takes tens of hours to extract desired data from LANL’s own research simulations that generate several PBs of data,” said Technical Leader Soonyeal Yang. “However, the KV-CSD locates and reads key-value data directly from the indexed list, reducing the data processing time to just several minutes.”

“Additionally, as it is the job of the CPU to scan through PBs of data to retrieve desired data, this process puts a strain on the system,” Yang added. “However, KV-CSD’s indexing technology speeds up data processing while minimizing the burden on the system”.

▲ Inhyuk Park explains a core technology of the KV-CSD called secondary indexing

Among the indexing technologies, Technical Leader Inhyuk Park emphasized the importance of secondary indexing. This technology subdivides the indexing list to further categorize data. “For example, if you have a database of products sold by each time of day, general indexing will only allow you to find out which products were sold at specific times,” explained Park. “But with secondary indexing, you can also find out the person who bought the product in addition to how much they paid for it. Ultimately, a range of data can be processed more quickly.”

▲ Taejin Oh recalls the challenges of developing a test application for the KV-CSD

Nevertheless, the team members agree that uncertainty was the biggest challenge in achieving this latest milestone. As they were building a completely new product, understanding new technologies, keeping up with trends, coming up with an architectural design, and everything related to developing the product were all fresh challenges for the team. More notably, the members faced several critical moments during the performance validation that came after the development of the prototype.

“As a new type of storage device, there was no test application that matched the product,” said Technical Leader Taejin Oh. “After spending a long time to reform existing test applications to adopt properties of the KV-CSD, our team eventually succeeded in developing our own test application. In the end, we could finally verify the performance of the product.”

Leading the Future of Storage Device Technology

Chung has high hopes for his team’s creation. “We aim to ensure SK hynix’s technology becomes a global standard to enhance the company’s position in the market,” he said. “We will continue to conduct follow-up research and standardization work, including joint efforts to build an ecosystem for the product.”

The Computational Storage team at SK hynix is determined to use this experience of growth to further excel in its research and development projects, and hinted at more innovations to come: “We will continue to surprise the market with our pioneering next-generation storage devices.”

The post SK hynix Picks Up “Oscar of Innovation”: Company’s Groundbreaking KV-CSD Wins 2023 R&D 100 Award first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

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The post [Brand Video] Who Are the Rulebreakers? first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

▲ SK hynix President and CEO Kwak Noh-Jung speaks with employees on the company’s 40th anniversary (From left, Son Aeri, Kwak, Lim Seohyun, and Ma Kyoungsoo)

To commemorate SK hynix’s 40th anniversary on October 10, SK hynix President and CEO Kwak Noh-Jung laid out the company’s vision. “We will transform semiconductor memory, which has generally been considered as a commodity product¹, into customized specialty solutions through continued innovations,” he said. During a special interview, Kwak claimed that “only companies that satisfy customers by breaking away from old methods centered on commodity products will survive.”

The AI era has already brought about swift increases in the capabilities of AI systems and a diversification in the memory specifications required by major tech companies. In this rapidly changing environment, SK hynix is leading the AI memory sector with its innovations, including the world’s first mass production of HBM3² and development of the world’s best-performing HBM3E.

¹Commodity product: In the semiconductor field, commodity products are simple mass-produced chips used for performing repetitive processing routines.

²High Bandwidth Memory (HBM): A high-value, high-performance memory that vertically interconnects multiple DRAM chips, enabling a dramatic increase in data processing speed in comparison to earlier DRAM products. HBM3E is the extended version of the HBM3 and the 5^th generation of its kind.

▲ Kwak talks about the company’s vision with employees

Traditionally, the memory industry has used a low-mix high-volume manufacturing³ system where both DRAM and NAND solutions were developed and quickly produced in large quantities. Although customized technology has been developed in some areas as the memory sector has advanced over recent years, the industry is still largely centered on commodity products.

³Low-Mix High-Volume (LMHV) manufacturing: A production model that enables businesses to produce large volumes of a small number of products.

However, as the pace of technological advancement in AI accelerates with the emergence of generative AI services such as ChatGPT, the industry consensus is that the types of AI services and related training will differ for each company. This will result in distinct memory specifications for companies across the world.

Following the mass production of HBM3E in 2024, Kwak claims that memory specifications will need to be configured in close collaboration with customers in the AI business from the earliest stages. This will entail major industry-wide changes in design and production methods, as well as marketing.

“Going forward, we need to first understand the specialty of each of our customers’ work and then customize the memory to meet their needs,” he said. “That represents a big growth opportunity for us.”

▲ Kwak talks about the opportunities the future holds for SK hynix

For the talk, Kwak was joined by three SK hynix employees who represented different generations. Ma Kyoungsoo, a senior engineer of the Manufacturing and Technology department who has been with the company for more than 30 years and was honored as SK hynix’s first Master⁴ in 2023; Technical Leader Son Aeri of the DRAM Development department who was born in October 1983 when the company was founded; and Technical Leader Lim Seohyun of the NAND Development department who joined the company in 2023, sat down with Kwak to talk about SK hynix’s past, present, and future.

⁴Master: An in-house guru at SK hynix who takes on the role of an advisor, passing on knowledge of the semiconductor manufacturing site to juniors and suggesting solutions to various problems.

▲ Kwak talks to employees about the company’s facilities in Icheon, Cheongju and Yongin

When asked about the company’s future, Kwak first spoke of the potential of facilities in Icheon, Cheongju, and Yongin. Once the first fab in SK hynix’s Yongin cluster becomes operational in 2027, it will join the company’s existing Icheon and Cheongju sites to form a triangle on the map and create an optimized production system which will increase business efficiency.

“When the triangle is completed, SK hynix will become a global semiconductor mecca spread across the three cities,” Kwak said.

Regarding the future of semiconductors, Kwak predicts that there will be a technological convergence between memory, CPUs, and system semiconductors as their boundaries become blurred, and that the applications of memory will broaden. “As products such as PIM⁵, which puts computational functions in the memory itself, become more sophisticated, they are likely to be applied to quantum computing⁶ technology,” he said. “Our ability to lead this shift will be a decisive factor in determining our future.”

Kwak also emphasized that “in the future, we need to pay attention to our surroundings, not just technology or products, and strive to make the world a better place. We need to continue to work toward our environmental goals, such as achieving net zero and RE100⁷, while also thinking about how we can contribute to society and improve our governance system,” Kwak said, adding that he plans to strengthen the company’s ESG management.

⁵Processing-In-Memory (PIM): A next-generation technology that adds computational capabilities to semiconductor memories to solve the problem of data movement congestion in AI and big data processing.

⁶Quantum computing: A computational method that utilizes quantum mechanical phenomena such as entanglement and superposition to solve complex problems faster than traditional computers.

⁷Renewable Electricity 100 (RE100): A global initiative for businesses to procure 100% of electricity via renewable electricity.

▲ Ma talks about how the company has changed over the past 40 years

Kwak also spoke with staff about the company’s evolution over its 40-year history. Ma, who has worked at SK hynix since the early 1990s, cites horizontal corporate culture following the elimination of the hierarchical system as the biggest change. “It has created a work environment with strong communication and flowing ideas,” he said.

“Safety awareness has also increased as much as technical skills. The safety rules have become as detailed as the actual work we do, which has created an environment where everyone can work with peace of mind,” Ma added.

▲ Lim talks about Gen Z’s positive impression of SK hynix

“The company guarantees a wide range of autonomy to its employees, including a flexible work system, making it a place where Gen Z wants to work,” said Lim, who joined the company in 2023.

Kwak responded by praising staff for their ability to work autonomously and use their initiative in the face of adversity. Recalling the early 2000s, he said: “When the company experienced challenges, employees put in great effort and approached their work with a sense of ownership. Looking back, this sense of ownership is in line with our VWBE⁸ philosophy.”

⁸Voluntarily and Willing Brain Engagement (VWBE): One of the employee values emphasized by SK Management System, or SKMS.

▲Son reflects on turning 40 as SK hynix celebrates its 40^th anniversary

“I turn 40 in the same month the company celebrates its 40^th anniversary,” said Son. “When I was younger, I thought that 40 was the age of a mature adult, but now I realize that it’s the age of a young person who needs to develop and grow constantly, both myself and the company. I think we’ve entered the new starting point for further development.”

Kwak also acknowledged the need for the company to continue to grow and progress. “Recent reports show that the average lifespan of a global company is only 15 years, and it’s going to get shorter,” he said. “We can be proud of our 40-year history, but we also have more work to do.”

▲ Kwak thanks the employees for all their hard work

Wrapping up the talk, Kwak thanked all of SK hynix’s employees for making the company’s 40-year history possible. “Our recent industry-leading technologies, including HBM3E, DDR5, LPDDR5, and 321-Layer NAND, are the result of the hard work of our employees, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them,” he said.

“The current generation is very rational in the way they work, and they are ready to work at 150% of their capabilities, or even more,” he said of the junior members who are becoming the company’s core workers, adding that he is excited about the next 40 years.

Kwak concluded by saying that “we have all excelled as one team, one company, and our goal is to become a global market leader.”

The post [SK hynix’s 40th Anniversary] CEO Kwak Noh-Jung Says Company to Become Specialty Semiconductor Memory Provider for the AI Era first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

• Chey makes visit to construction site to inspect progress, encourage employees
• Future competitiveness, climate positive, innovation & co-prosperity presented as  new visions and roles for cluster
• Groundbreaking for first fab in cluster planned for 2025 with completion expected in 2027

Seoul, September 15, 2023

SK hynix Inc. (or “the company”, www.skhynix.com) said today that SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won visited the construction site of Yongin Semiconductor Cluster in Wonsam-myeon of Yongin city, Gyeonggi Province.

SK hynix said that Chairman Chey visited the site on Friday to inspect the construction progress and encourage employees as the Yongin Cluster site preparation began to pick up speed since June.

“Yongin Cluster is the most thoroughly and strategically prepared project on SK hynix history,” Chey said, calling for utmost efforts to guarantee the success of the cluster.

Putting the top priority on efficiency, Chey said that the project requires more than the challenges that the company has made so far. “What we plan and reflect in advance to stay ahead of others will shape our competitiveness in the future.”

Chairman Chey emphasized a deep commitment to climate and environment when building Yonging Cluster, reminding the participants of SK Group’s RE100 declaration.

“Attention on green energy will continue to rise and a failure to respond to this change would jeopardize our sales, so we have a very good reason to think about and reflect this.” He said that the cluster should be a ‘climate positive production base’, which provides future energy solutions and manufactures low-power, high-performance semiconductors.

He also urged the Yongin cluster to be a platform for innovation and co-prosperity by having the infrastructure that materials, components and equipment companies and high-caliber talents can freely use to lay foundation for innovation, given the difficulties of local companies and universities suffering from infrastructure shortages, including equipment and cleanroom.

In fact, SK hynix is working on building a ‘mini fab’ within the cluster in a joint project with the government. The mini fab, a 300mm wafer-based research and test facility, will support technologies and products developed by materials, components and equipment companies to be quickly applied to the mass-production process.

Chey also called for the cluster to provide jobs that the next generation prefers. “Designing a new future can be both challenging and delightful at the same time. I wish this project will be a fun challenge for all of us.”

Wishing safety of all the members participating in the project, Chey wrote on the visitors’ book that he wishes “a success of the Yongin semiconductor project where new spirits and history of challenges and innovation will lie.”

Alongside Chairman Chey, executives of SK Group affiliates taking part in the project, including SK hynix Vice Chairman Park Jung-ho, CEO Kwak Noh-jung, and SK ecoplant CEO Park Kyung-il, and Kim Seong-goo, who heads Yongin General Industrial Complex Inc., a special purpose company (SPC) created to build a site for a semiconductor cluster, attended the site visit.

Once the site preparation is complete, SK hynix will kick off construction of its first fab in March, 2025 with completion expected in May, 2027.

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
Joori Roh
E-Mail: global_newsroom@skhynix.com

The post SK Group Chairman Says Yongin Cluster to Make History as Platform for Semiconductor Challenges & Innovation first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

• SK hynix and Intel co-published performance verification white paper on DDR5’s application to Intel CPUs for use in servers
• SK hynix’s DDR5 boosts server bandwidth by 70% while lowering power consumption by 14.4% compared to the product’s previous generation
• SK hynix plans to accelerate improvement in its second-half performance with its quality-certified DDR5

SK hynix announced on September 14th that it has co-published a white paper with Intel which reveals that its DDR5 server DRAM applied to Intel’s CPUs demonstrated industry-leading performance levels. This white paper was released simultaneously on the SK hynix and Intel websites.

The two companies have worked closely together since the beginning of DDR5’s development, and this white paper shows the results of performance evaluations of SK hynix’s DDR5 when applied to 4th Gen Intel^® Xeon^® Scalable processors¹ (hereinafter referred to as Xeon) that took place over the past eight months.

Released at a time when the server industry has called for low-power, high-performance semiconductors, the white paper highlights that SK hynix and Intel will usher in an era of more advanced data centers through memory and CPUs that deliver industry-leading performance and energy efficiency.

[Read the full white paper]

The white paper reveals that SK hynix’s DDR5 uses 14.4% less power than DDR4, while the 4th Gen Intel^® Xeon^® Scalable processors offer performance efficiency that is 2.9 times greater than the previous generation². In servers with Xeon, DDR5 achieved an improved performance per watt³ that was 1.22 times higher for integer computations and 1.11 times higher for floating point⁴ computations compared to DDR4.

Accordingly, the two companies expect the energy efficiency provided by DDR5 and Xeon to allow server chip customers to build more sustainable data centers. The operation of such cost-effective data centers is also expected to help customers save on the total cost of ownership (TCO)⁵.

“As revealed in the white paper, servers equipped with SK hynix’s DDR5 and Intel’s CPUs enable faster data processing speeds while consuming less power compared to the products’ previous generations. In particular, they can efficiently utilize high-density DRAMs required for processing vast amounts of data in applications such as generative AI,” said Sungsoo Ryu, head of DRAM Product Planning at SK hynix.

“We hope that our server chip customers will use the valuable information included in this white paper to drive their business forward,” he added.

Dr. Dimitrios Ziakas, Intel’s vice president of Memory and IO Technologies, said: “Intel has been collaborating with SK hynix and memory industry partners to enable high-performance DDR5 DRAM with 4th Gen Intel^® Xeon^® Scalable processors. These efforts ensure that we provide robust high-performance and energy-efficient data center system solutions to benefit our mutual customers.”

SK hynix will strengthen its offerings in the server market through collaborations, such as this latest project with Intel. By focusing on 1anm and 1bnm DDR5, the fourth and fifth generation of the 10nm process technology, respectively, SK hynix looks to increase its financial performance and presence in the server market as demand for server DRAMs is expected to rise in the second half of 2023.

[At a Glance] The Intel and SK hynix DDR5 Ecosystem White Paper (Read the full white paper)

• Bandwidth 70%↑⁶, Power Consumption 14.4%↓⁷, Integer Computations 1.59 times↑

The white paper details test data that server customers can use to guide their application of DDR5 in their servers. Highlights include the speed, performance, and power consumption that is attainable when combining DDR5 memory and Xeon.

Figure 1. Comparing the Server Bandwidth of SK hynix’s DDR4 and DDR5

Firstly, server bandwidth⁸ at the same operating speeds of 3,200 megabits per second (Mbps) increased by 20% with DDR5 compared with the previous generation, DDR4. Additionally, the server bandwidth at DDR5’s operating speed of 4,800 Mbps was 70% greater than it was at DDR4’s highest operating speed of 3,200 Mbps⁹. The overall expansion in the server bandwidth is due to the DDR5’s design improvements that minimized internal transfer latency of data and the securing of higher transfer speeds compared to DDR4.

Figure 2. Comparing Operating Speed and Power Consumption of SK hynix’s DDR4 and DDR5

Through the study, SK hynix was also able to confirm that DDR5’s power consumption was 14.4% less than DDR4 due in large part to new technologies such as High-K Metal Gate (HKMG). HKMG is a next-generation process that uses a High-K insulating film inside a DRAM transistor to prevent leakage current and improve its capacitance—the ability to store charge. Semiconductor memory products with HKMG therefore have a higher power efficiency.

Xeon’s built-in accelerators have also shown positive results in tests. Organizations can improve the average performance per watt efficiency for target workloads by up to 2.9 times utilizing the built-in accelerators compared to the previous generation of processors. The combination of these technologies enabled DDR5 and Xeon to achieve an excellent 50% increase in bandwidth and a 14.4% reduction in power usage.

The white paper also shows the computational performance of a system that combines DDR5 and Xeon. The companies used SPEC CPU 2017, a specialized benchmarking program, to compare performances.

Results from the comparison showed that integer computations were 1.59 times faster and floating point computations 1.43 times faster than the previous generation’s system. The performance per watt also saw its efficiency rise 1.22 times for integer computations and 1.11 times for floating point computations compared to the system’s predecessor.

The advanced system also performed well in the Intel Memory Latency Checker (MLC) test, a program that measures memory latency and speed. Compared to the previous generation, the read speed increased by 1.4 times and the read/write speed rose by 1.51 times.

Intel, the Intel logo, and other Intel marks are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries.

¹4th Gen Intel^® Xeon^® Scalable processors: These processors are Intel’s next generation of server CPUs that support PCIe Gen5 and next-generation DDR5 DRAM.

²2.9x average performance per watt efficiency improvement for targeted workloads utilizing built-in accelerators compared to the previous generation.
New Configuration: 1-node, 2x pre-production 4th Gen Intel^® Xeon^® Scalable Processor (60 cores) with integrated Intel In-Memory Analytics Accelerator (Intel IAA), on pre-production Intel platform and software, HT On, Turbo On, Total Memory 1024GB (16x64GB DDR5 4800), microcode 0x2b0000a1, 1×3.84TB P5510 NVMe, Intel^® Ethernet Controller X540-AT2, Ubuntu 22.04.1 LTS, 5.18.12-051812-generic, QPL v0.2.1,accel-config-v3.4.6.4, ZSTD v1.5.2, RocksDB v6.4.6 (db_​bench), tested by Intel November 2022. Baseline: 1-node, 2x production 3rd Gen Intel^® Xeon^® Scalable Processors (40 cores) on SuperMicro SYS-220U-TNR, HT On, Turbo On, SNC Off, Total Memory 1024GB (16x64GB DDR4 3200), microcode 0xd000375, 1×3.84TB P5510 NVMe, Intel^® Ethernet Controller X540-AT2, Ubuntu 22.04.1 LTS, 5.18.12-051812-generic, ZSTD v1.5.2, RocksDB v6.4.6 (db_​bench), tested by Intel November 2022.

³Performance per watt: An indicator of how much computation is performed per watt of power consumed.

⁴Floating point: A concept about real numbers where integers and decimals are represented separately by changing the position of the decimal point to facilitate computation, as opposed to a fixed point where the decimal point is fixed in its original position. For example, if the original real number is 123.485, it can be written in floating points as 1.23485X 10^2, or 0.00123485X10^5.

⁵Total cost of ownership (TCO): The total costs of an asset that includes such as the initial investment, power, facility operations, and maintenance.

⁶Result obtained during simulations by SK hynix performed in December 2022.

⁷Power consumption comparison of DDR4 and DDR5 based on simulations by SK hynix’s power calculator.

⁸Server Bandwidth: The pathway through which data travels. An increase in bandwidth enables more data to be processed more efficiently at once.

⁹Bandwidth comparison based on increase from DDR4’s 3,200 Mbps operating speed to DDR5’s 3,200 Mbps and 4,800 Mbps speeds.

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A couple’s first blissful dance as bride and groom. The glistening beach sunset taken during the trip of a lifetime. A mother holding her newborn baby for the first time. Life’s special moments can be captured forever in photos, instantly transporting people back to that time long after the photo was taken. This power of photography along with the medium’s art, history and technological advancement are celebrated during World Photography Week, a global event running August 12–26.

To mark the occasion, the SK hynix Newsroom spoke with three of the company’s employees from separate global offices to discuss some of their most impressive shots, recommendations for places to travel, and the impact photography has had on their lives.

“Photography is a Mission and a Responsibility”

“Ever since I was a child, I have always loved nature: flowers, birds, fish, and insects. Fast-forward to when I became an adult, I won the first prize at my company’s photography competition for an impromptu photo taken of a light-vented bulbul—a type of songbird also called a Chinese bulbul—perched on a steel bar. From then on, wildlife photography has taken up all my spare time. I have traveled all over China as I go out to shoot almost every week. If there’s a place in the country that is known for having vast lands of nature, I will visit the area no matter the distance to capture raw images of wildlife.

A type of dendrobium orchid

Cherry blossom in Wuxi

“For example, I had to go on an arduous journey to photograph a type of dendrobium orchid, which is one of the most beautiful flowers I have ever seen. As it grows on the branches of huge trees by fast-flowing rivers, it took me two whole days to get to the bottom of an ancient tree where these flowers were blooming. This type of orchid is rarely seen, as it is generally found in secluded and snowy areas of the mountain home to swarms of locusts.

“But another favorite place of mine doesn’t require too much traveling. In fact, it is in the city where I was born and work to this day—Wuxi. When the cherry blossoms are in full bloom in March, it will usher in the most beautiful and most-lively scene of the year for Wuxi. People from all over the world come here to enjoy the cherry blossoms during our city’s annual festival that brings nature and people together.

Euphaea opaca damselfly

“Ever since wildlife photography has become a big part of my life, I’ve noticed the many similarities we share with animals and insects that offer us important lessons. For example, dragonflies begin their life in the water and return to the water when they die, so they have a circle of life just as we do. I still remember the time when I spotted an endemic species called the Euphaea opaca damselfly in a mountain stream in the city of Yixing. A brown male was fighting for the right to mate and pass down his genes. As such, life goes on and on.

“However, due to the impact of climate change, many creatures are at risk of extinction. I believe photos that show the true beauty of wildlife will raise awareness about nature conversation and encourage more people to take relative action. In that sense, photography is a mission and a responsibility for me. It is my goal to influence more people to protect nature. This is why I really get excited when rare and endangered species are photographed. When I became the first photographer in China to capture the striped emerald dragonfly in 2021, I shed tears of joy.

“Presently, I am a contracted photographer for the Southwest Mountains site, and my photos have also been featured in various domestic atlases and publications. More recently, in July 2021, I held an exhibition of my wildlife photos.

“Whenever I am under pressure due to work or life in general, going out into nature and photographing wildlife helps me release built-up tension and puts me back into a better state. Photography has the power to improve my mental and physical well-being.”

“Finding the Good in Things”

“Since the pandemic began, I have been looking for places away from crowds. So, I took up mountain climbing as a new hobby, and it didn’t take long until I decided to get a camera to capture the scenery that was simply too good not to share with others. One of the most memorable views was on top of Seoraksan Mountain in Gangwon-do Province, which is one of the most popular hiking destinations in South Korea.

“I go out to take pictures about once or twice a month, and Happy Fridays are a good time to do this. As our company allows us to take one Friday off every month, I search for places to take photos ahead of time.

Seoraksan Mountain

“Interestingly enough, when I was in my 20s, I didn’t like being photographed. But I’ve been taking a lot of photos of myself and the people around me ever since I picked up this hobby. In the process, I’ve also learned to smile a lot more and I’m proud to see myself bring more positivity into life and become a better version of myself. In that sense, photography is like a treasure to me; I feel a great deal of happiness whenever I take photos.

Bokcheonsa Temple

The Sinri St. Daveluy Historic Site

“But there’s something more than this; photography has taught me how to find the good in things, either by closely observing the subjects or finding a good photographic composition. I think life is similar in a way. Everything has a good and bad side to it, but it is just a matter of where you focus your attention and gaze. If you can find the good in things, you will always come out on top. I have become a person who looks for the best in things and tries to see the bright side to everything.

“I still cannot forget the time I visited Bokcheonsa Temple in the southeastern port city of Busan and the Sinri St. Daveluy Historic Site in Chungcheongnam-do Province. I am not religious, so these two sites are not my usual go-to places. But I felt more at peace than ever while walking around them. The more time I spent exploring every corner to take photos and learning about the histories of these places, the more beauty I discovered in them. Since then, I have become more open to visiting locations that I haven’t really thought of in the past.

“Photography Doesn’t Forget”

“I have always been a people person ever since I can remember. Family and friends are two integral parts of my life. So, naturally I am keen to get to know about people and will closely observe their behaviors and habits, which can often rub off on me. One time, I was traveling with a friend who took out a camera and started capturing the moments. As I found this to be a great way to cherish memories, I also decided to do the same. Later on, I participated in a photography class to learn about the various equipment and develop new skills. However, as photography equipment can be pretty heavy, I sometimes use my phone to take photos when I travel. I have no problem with this as my main purpose of taking photos is to capture memories. Also, I do not think photos have to be taken in a new and exciting place every time. Even if I take a photo of a road that I have seen numerous times, the shot can give me a new perspective of it and lead me to appreciate the ordinary things in life.

“Taking portraits has become my thing after I noticed that I feel happy whenever I see smiling faces through the camera lens. So, I often try to capture the good time with my friends and co-workers who also enjoy photography. Of course, many of my photos also include my family and our gatherings.

A family outing

“Although we can forget about things as time passes, photography doesn’t forget; it records all the places, people, moments, and events you have experienced. I have a big family which means it is hard for everyone to gather and sit down together. So, the day when everyone from the little ones all the way to my grandmother went to a restaurant for a family gathering felt so special to me. This seemingly normal photo of a family did not require a lot of technique or high-tech equipment; it was the significance and memories we created that day that made this one of the best photos that I have ever taken. I am always going to remember that day as it was the first time my grandmother went out to eat with all of us, and the last. This is my most cherished photo to date.”

Different Purposes, One Shared Passion

Whether looking to find the good in things, raise awareness of the need to protect nature, or keep memories of loved ones and precious experiences, the three employees had different reasons for taking up photography as a hobby. However, they are united in their passion for taking photos and are hoping to inspire others to do the same for World Photography Week and beyond.

The post Behind the Lens: SK hynix Employees Share Stunning Images to Celebrate World Photography Week first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.