Milpitas: SK hynix Inc. announced its collaboration with U.S.-based Sandisk Corp. to standardize next-generation memory technology, specifically high bandwidth flash (HBF), to solidify its standing in the rapidly expanding artificial intelligence (AI) chip sector. The Korean semiconductor firm revealed this strategic partnership as a move to bolster its influence in AI technology by working closely with Sandisk.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the two companies initiated the HBF standardization consortium at Sandisk's headquarters in Milpitas, California. They outlined their plans to create a working group under the Open Compute Project (OCP), an organization dedicated to data center IT infrastructure. SK hynix emphasized that their joint efforts with Sandisk in making HBF an industry standard would provide a foundation for the AI ecosystem to flourish.

HBF is designed as a mid-tier memory solution, filling the gap between high bandwidth memory (HBM) and solid state drives (SSDs), and is targeted at large AI inference workloads. SK hynix, a prominent player in the HBM market, and Sandisk aim to globally standardize and commercialize HBF solutions by leveraging their expertise in HBM and NAND flash memory production.

Ahn Hyun, chief development officer at SK hynix, stated that the company seeks to establish a cooperative framework through HBF technology standardization, optimizing memory architecture for the AI era and generating new value for customers and partners.