Major chip maker TSMC has plants in the US on the way “to meet robust demand from US-based customers for smartphone and AI computing chips”. South Korean competitor SK Hynix has been considering similar plans since over a year ago. And it looks like the company is finally putting those plans into motion. The company also aims for the plant to be able to produce turnkey HBM modules for AI accelerators by 2028.
Tom’s Hardware reports that the plant will be in West Lafayette, Indiana, and developed in partnership with Purdue University. It will be the first SK Hynix production site in the US, and “part of a broader effort to bring critical semiconductor infrastructure closer to US customers”. The report cites filings that indicate “plans to operate a full mass-production line” there, with “a dedicated talent pipeline” for Purdue.
Emphasis On Turnkey
Of course, the plant producing turnkey HBM modules is the key here. Prior to this, SK Hynix typically sold just the memory stacks. This leaves its customers to rely on their foundry partners to do the packaging. With a plant producing turnkey modules, this means that the company will be doing said packaging process, letting lets customers buy ready-to-mount modules.
The company also gains the benefit of having tighter control over the whole process as a result of integrating memory production with its packaging. This, in turn, means reduced failure rates. Also, the SK Hynix plant in Indiana is noted as being the first to offer high-volume 2.5D packaging in the US. It may also be the only one with dedicated capacity for third-party AI customers.
(Source: Tom’s Hardware)
