"SK Hynix to Launch HBM5 in 2029... Full-Scale Adoption of Hybrid Bonding"

Counterpoint Research Forecasts Industry Trends

It is expected that SK Hynix will launch its 8th-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM5) as early as 2029, and will also fully implement hybrid bonding in mass production at that time.

Market research firm Counterpoint Research stated on April 6, "SK Hynix is securing a strategic edge by adopting the integrated hybrid bonding solution from Applied Materials (AMAT) and BE Semiconductor Industries (BESI) early on, which will enable the company to meet a variety of performance requirements such as bandwidth, latency, power, and speed going forward."

Hybrid bonding (HCB) is an ultra-precision joining technology that connects semiconductor chips by directly bonding copper to copper, without the need for 'bumps' (solder protrusions) in between. This allows for a significant reduction in the overall thickness by minimizing the gap between chips, and greatly improves both data transmission speed and thermal dissipation, earning it the reputation of being a 'game changer.'

Currently, for HBM products, the relaxation of JEDEC (international standard) criteria allows for the use of thermo-compression bonding (TCB) for up to 16 layers. However, as leading big tech clients, including Nvidia, are raising their specification requirements, the adoption of hybrid bonding is becoming inevitable in the long term.

Accordingly, the so-called memory 'big three'—Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and Micron—are pushing to introduce hybrid bonding starting from post-HBM4 generation products to address next-generation AI demand. Samsung Electronics is accelerating in-house development by introducing hybrid bonding equipment from its subsidiary SEMES at its Cheonan campus. SK Hynix is also reportedly set to begin full-scale hybrid bonding process validation in April to May of this year and has requested related technology development from equipment suppliers such as Hanmi Semiconductor and Hanwha Semitek.

Counterpoint Research forecasts that HBM5 will represent a watershed moment in the hybrid bonding race. The firm commented, "SK Hynix is expected to launch HBM5 around 2029–2030, in line with the next-generation AI graphics processing unit (GPU) cycle," and added, "The introduction of hybrid bonding equipment is expected to provide an important strategic advantage for maintaining leadership in the HBM market."

NVIDIA GTC 2026 SK Hynix Exhibition Hall View. SK Hynix

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