Samsung reportedly using TSMC for NVIDIA NVHBM base die production

Samsung is reportedly collaborating with TSMC to provide base dies for NVIDIA's NVHBM memory standard. While Samsung has its own 3 nm production lines, reports say NVIDIA's IP is optimized for TSMC nodes. Under this arrangement, Samsung would use its sixth 10-nm generation processes for the memory chips, but the base die would be manufactured on TSMC's 3 nm process.

NVHBM integrates the memory controller directly into the 3D HBM stack. NVIDIA claims this architecture provides up to 30% more memory bandwidth and 15% lower HBM power consumption compared to standard HBM4E. NVIDIA also claims it allows for extra space for processor compute logic. Based on these claims, reports say a single NVHBM unit could theoretically reach around 5.2 TB/s in bandwidth.

Samsung has previously shipped HBM4E with speeds of 14 Gbps per pin since late May. The company has also developed HBM4E featuring speeds of 16 Gbps per pin. While this collaboration helps Samsung meet NVIDIA's requirements, reports indicate there are doubts regarding whether TSMC can supply the necessary volumes. Certain requirements must still be met before mass production begins.