Following Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix Also Joins Hands with Applied for AI Memory R&D

Applied EPIC Center Set to Open This Year
Joint R&D to Focus on Materials Engineering and
Advanced Packaging Innovation for Next-Generation DRAM and HBM

Applied Materials (hereafter "Applied") and SK Hynix announced on March 11 that they have signed a long-term cooperation agreement to accelerate the development and introduction of next-generation DRAM and HBM (High Bandwidth Memory).

Under this partnership, engineers from both companies will collaborate directly at the "Applied EPIC Center" located in Silicon Valley. As memory architectures advance from current mass production processes to next-generation nodes, the companies plan to drive innovation across materials breakthroughs, process integration, and advanced 3D packaging.

Prabu Rajas, President of Semiconductor Products Group at Applied Materials (left), and Nojung Kwak, CEO of SK Hynix, are posing for a photo to commemorate the signing of a long-term cooperation agreement. Applied Materials

Gary Dickerson, Chairman and CEO of Applied Materials, stated, "Applied Materials and SK Hynix share a long history of partnership that has improved the energy efficiency performance of advanced memory chips through materials engineering innovation." He added, "We are pleased to welcome SK Hynix as a founding partner of the EPIC Center and look forward to working together to deliver meaningful innovations that will accelerate the commercialization of next-generation DRAM and HBM technologies for the AI era."

Nohjung Kwak, CEO of SK Hynix, said, "The ongoing expansion of AI systems is creating unprecedented demand for energy-efficient memory technologies." He continued, "The greatest challenge in AI development is the widening gap between memory speed and processor performance." He added, "To overcome these limitations, SK Hynix’s advanced memory technology enables faster and more energy-efficient data processing, and through collaboration with Applied Materials at the new EPIC Center, we look forward to presenting an innovative roadmap for next-generation memory solutions optimized for AI."

Applied and SK Hynix have signed a comprehensive technology development agreement to jointly tackle long-term semiconductor R&D (research and development) challenges for next-generation memory. The initial joint innovation program will focus on new material exploration, complex process integration methods, and the implementation of HBM-class advanced packaging, aiming to simultaneously enhance the performance and manufacturability of future memory architectures.

This collaboration will be conducted based on the EPIC Center’s "high-speed joint innovation" model. SK Hynix engineers will work directly with Applied’s technical team to accelerate the development of new technologies. In addition, SK Hynix will utilize Applied’s industry-leading advanced packaging R&D capabilities in Singapore to connect device-level innovation with heterogeneous integration, thereby addressing new challenges in the field of advanced 3D packaging.

Chasenyong Cha, CTO and Head of Future Technology Research at SK Hynix, said, "To advance memory technology in the AI era, a new approach to wafer fab equipment development is required." He continued, "The joint innovation program with Applied Materials will focus on new materials, process integration, and thermal management technologies across device engineering and advanced packaging."

The "EPIC Center" is an advanced semiconductor process technology and manufacturing equipment joint R&D facility being established by Applied in Silicon Valley, with a total investment of USD 5 billion (approximately KRW 7 trillion), and is scheduled to open later this year. This marks the largest investment ever made in advanced semiconductor equipment R&D in the United States. Previously, Samsung Electronics also joined last month as the first founding member.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.