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Samsung is expected to more than double output of its HBM4 and HBM4E DRAM

562 points · 458 comments · giuliomagnifico

y1n0 · 1789944008 · focus · HN ↗
I’ve often wondered about die thinning. I mean just looking at sd cards and micro sd etc, it was clear that there had to be a thinning step (or many steps) and it seemed amazing to me that such a complex step could be economically viable. And yet it clearly is. All a matter of being able to operate at scale I guess.
It’s not a step I’ve seen discussed very much, so it was kind of neat to see it discussed front and center in a lay article like this.
1. pjc50 · 1789994507 · focus · HN ↗
  Planarization has always been part of the process: <a href="https://jeez-semicon.com/blog/Planarization-in-Semiconductor-Manufacturing-Complete-Guide/" rel="nofollow">https://jeez-semicon.com/blog/Planarization-in-Semiconductor...
  <a href="https://resources.pcb.cadence.com/blog/2023-the-planarization-process-for-semiconductor-manufacturing" rel="nofollow">https://resources.pcb.cadence.com/blog/2023-the-planarizatio...
  Not dissimilar to lens or mirror making, the process of grinding to a precise flatness. The key step here is bonding it to a glass carrier, presumably because otherwise it gets too thin to support itself.
  See also the "reduced kerf diamond wire saw": technology critical to cheap solar panels is the ability to saw the boule into thinner and thinner pieces with less waste at each cut, like a big ham slicer.

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