← The AI Systems Map
L4 · ToolsMemory / HBM⬦ Chokepoint

High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM)

The stacked-DRAM bottleneck that gates every AI accelerator

HBM is a 3D-stacked DRAM standard (JEDEC) that stacks 8-16 DRAM dies connected by through-silicon vias (TSVs) and sits beside the GPU/ASIC on a silicon interposer, delivering the terabytes-per-second of bandwidth that transformer training and inference demand. It is the single tightest chokepoint in the AI hardware stack alongside CoWoS packaging: HBM3E is the 2024-2025 volume product and HBM4 ramps in 2025-2026 with a wider 2048-bit interface and, for the first time, a logic base die often fabbed by a foundry. Capacity has been sold out through 2025 and largely booked into 2026, with SK Hynix, Samsung, and Micron the only three suppliers on Earth.

Suppliers worldwide

3 (SK Hynix, Samsung, Micron)

Current gen

HBM3E (8-hi/12-hi); HBM4 ramping 2025-2026

HBM4 interface

2048-bit (2x HBM3E), logic base die

Capacity status

Sold out through 2025, booked into 2026

How it fits the stack

High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM) with what it depends on (above) and what it feeds (below). The figure renders as a crawlable diagram and upgrades to an interactive 3D graph as it scrolls into view.

manufacturesdepends onsuppliesusesdepends ondepends onmanufacturesused byusesusesusesused byusesusesinvests inHigh-Bandwidth Memory(HBM)ToolsCXMT (ChangXin Memory)chokepointDISCO CorporationchokepointDRAMEUV Lithography(13.5nm)chokepointLiquid CoolingMicron TechnologyAMDASE Technology (ASEGroup / SPIL)AWS Trainium /InferentiaBroadcomchokepointEtchedGoogle TPUSouth Korea (K-Chips /HBM policy)
High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM)Depends on ↑Feeds ↓Related

High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM) in the AI stack. High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM) with its immediate upstream dependencies (top) and downstream dependents (bottom) in the AI value chain. Hover a node in 3D, or read the full relationships below.

Graph data (text) — 14 entities, 15 relationships
  • High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM)manufacturesCXMT (ChangXin Memory)
  • High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM)depends onDISCO Corporation
  • High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM)suppliesDISCO Corporation
  • High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM)usesDRAM
  • High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM)depends onEUV Lithography (13.5nm)
  • High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM)depends onLiquid Cooling
  • High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM)manufacturesMicron Technology
  • AMDused byHigh-Bandwidth Memory (HBM)
  • AMDusesHigh-Bandwidth Memory (HBM)
  • ASE Technology (ASE Group / SPIL)usesHigh-Bandwidth Memory (HBM)
  • AWS Trainium / InferentiausesHigh-Bandwidth Memory (HBM)
  • Broadcomused byHigh-Bandwidth Memory (HBM)
  • EtchedusesHigh-Bandwidth Memory (HBM)
  • Google TPUusesHigh-Bandwidth Memory (HBM)
  • High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM)invests inSouth Korea (K-Chips / HBM policy)

Depends on · 13

Feeds · 16