SK hynix and Sandisk looks to standardise next-gen HBF memory

The companies stated that HBF technology is a memory layer positioned between high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and solid-state drives (SSD). SK hynix said the technology is designed to combine high capacity with power efficiency for AI inference workloads and addresses limitations in current memory architectures.

A dedicated joint workstream under the Open Compute Project (OCP) will lead the standardisation efforts, the press release said. SK hynix added that the initiative aims to make HBF an industry standard and support growth across the AI ecosystem.

HBF is expected to reduce the total cost of ownership while increasing scalability for AI systems. The industry forecasts that the demand of complex memory solutions, including HBF, will pick up around 2030.

The companies stated that in the AI inference market, the role of a total memory solution company that can provide both HBM and HBF is becoming more important as system-level optimisation of CPU, GPU, and memory determines the overall competitiveness rather than the performance of a single chip.

Ahn Hyun, President and Chief Development Officer at SK hynix, said in the press release: “The key to AI infrastructure is to go beyond the performance competition of individual technologies and to optimise the entire ecosystem. Through HBF technology standardisation the company will establish a cooperative system and present an AI-era optimised memory architecture to create new value for customers and partners.”