SK hynix Validates LPDDR5X Safety and Security... Targets Physical AI Market

LPDDR5X earns SIL 3 certification for industrial functional safety
Secures certification based on an international automotive cybersecurity standard
Expands applications beyond automotive to robotics and smart factories

SK hynix is stepping up its efforts to capture the physical AI market, as its memory semiconductors gain international recognition for functional safety and cybersecurity. As the era of physical AI dawns, with AI performing physical tasks in the real world through technologies such as autonomous vehicles and robots, memory is increasingly expected to offer safety and security capabilities that can address malfunctions and external attacks.

SK hynix said Wednesday that its low-power LPDDR5X DRAM had earned SIL 3 certification under IEC 61508, an international industrial functional safety standard, and that it had also obtained certification for a cybersecurity management system (CSMS) based on ISO/SAE 21434, an international automotive cybersecurity standard. Both certifications were awarded following assessments by global certification body SGS-TUV Saar.

With this achievement, SK hynix has expanded the scope of its functional safety certification from the automotive sector to industries such as robotics and smart factories, following its earlier ASIL-D certification under ISO 26262, the international automotive functional safety standard. The company has also strengthened its system of international safety and security certifications by adding this achievement to TISAX, an automotive industry information security certification it became the first memory company to obtain in early 2025.

IEC 61508 is an international standard that serves as the basis for functional safety standards across industries. It is divided into four Safety Integrity Levels (SIL 1 to SIL 4), with higher numbers indicating more stringent safety requirements. SIL 3, which SK hynix has achieved, is the highest level a single memory semiconductor can attain.

SK hynix IEC 61508 Product and Process Certificate. SK hynix Newsroom.

LPDDR5X was specifically designed and validated for continuous-mode operation, in which a system must maintain a safe state in real time without being shut down. This provides a basis for its use in robots and other applications where real-time control is critical. SK hynix also obtained certification for the entire process used to develop the product, establishing a system to consistently incorporate safety requirements into products developed in the future.

SK hynix plans to target the edge-device market, where power consumption and heat generation are key concerns, with LPDDR5X's low-power consumption and high performance. It also aims to actively meet the functional safety requirements of customers developing platforms and systems-on-chip (SoCs) for robots.

Alongside functional safety, SK hynix has also strengthened its cybersecurity capabilities, another pillar of reliability. ISO 26262, obtained in January 2026, is a functional safety standard for addressing accidental system failures, while ISO/SAE 21434 is a cybersecurity standard for addressing malicious external attacks.

ISO/SAE 21434 requires security activities to be managed throughout a product's entire life cycle, from development and mass production through operation and decommissioning, based on threat analysis and risk assessment. The assessment confirmed that SK hynix's processes across product development and mass production, including threat response procedures, the establishment of security requirements, design and verification, and vulnerability management, comply with international standards.

The risk of cyberattacks is also increasing as autonomous vehicles and software-defined vehicles (SDVs) connect to external networks. A vehicle's decisions and controls rely on information stored and transmitted in memory, including sensor data, AI computation results, and encryption keys. If this data is altered or leaked, it could affect the reliability of the vehicle's entire system.

With this certification, SK hynix now meets the requirements to supply automotive memory to mobility customers that need to establish a CSMS. The company said that, following its TISAX certification in 2025, it has also completed verification against international standards in the cybersecurity field.

The company plans to build on its functional safety and cybersecurity capabilities to increase its participation in autonomous driving platform and SDV projects and expand its global Tier 1 customer base. It also aims to broaden the use of its memory beyond automotive applications to industries such as robotics, edge AI, and smart factories.

"As the physical AI market takes off, safety and security systems that comply with international standards are becoming increasingly important in the memory development process," said Kim Jonghwan, head of DRAM Development at SK hynix and an executive vice president. "Building on our safety and security capabilities, validated across the automotive and industrial sectors, we will solidify our leadership in full-stack AI memory at the AI system level in the physical AI market, including robotics, edge AI, and autonomous driving."

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