Report Claims Samsung's HBM3E Chips Fail NVIDIA Verification Due to TSMC Standards

Samsung Electronics is currently working to pass HBM3E chip verification in order to supply NVIDIA. However, it is reported that due to issues with TSMC's standards, Samsung's 8-layer HBM3E verification is still ongoing. Samsung recently conducted joint testing of its 8-layer HBM3E products with NVIDIA and received notice for further verification.

Industry insiders point out that Samsung's HBM is believed to have issues primarily because TSMC, responsible for manufacturing NVIDIA's GPUs, used SK Hynix's standards in verifying Samsung's 8-layer HBM3E. Since the production methods for SK Hynix's 8-layer HBM3E differ from Samsung's, Samsung's products have not passed verification smoothly.

The industry believes that after adjusting the verification process for the 8-layer HBM3E chips, Samsung will be able to supply NVIDIA smoothly. Samsung stated it could not provide customer-specific information regarding the NVIDIA verification issue but denied rumors of "defective products" and reiterated its commitment to delivering the best products.

Currently, Samsung's 8-layer HBM3E production line is fully operational, with 2024 capacity already sold out. Samsung is also actively conducting customer verification for its 12-layer products.

Previously, it was reported that Samsung organized a 100-person task force to improve the yield of its 12-layer HBM3E, aiming to pass NVIDIA's quality certification tests by May of this year.

The industry expects the results of NVIDIA's quality tests on products from both Korean companies to be announced within 1 to 2 months. It is speculated that NVIDIA's orders for the 12-layer HBM3E will exceed 10 trillion KRW (approximately $7.3 billion), drawing attention to the distribution of orders between the two companies.