Applied Materials Partners with Micron and SK Hynix to Advance Next-Generation Memory Technology Development

On March 10th, US time, Applied Materials, a global leader in semiconductor manufacturing equipment, announced that Micron and SK Hynix have become founding partners of its EPIC Center in Silicon Valley, jointly advancing the development of next-generation memory technologies to support the development of AI and high-performance computing industries.

The collaboration between Applied Materials and Micron will focus on developing next-generation DRAM, high-bandwidth memory (HBM), and NAND solutions, aiming to improve the energy efficiency of AI systems. The two companies will integrate the strengths of Applied Materials' EPIC Center and Micron's Boise R&D Center to jointly tackle advanced packaging technologies to achieve high-bandwidth, low-power memory solutions. Simultaneously, Applied Materials and SK Hynix have entered into a long-term cooperation agreement, focusing on accelerating the development and deployment of next-generation DRAM and HBM technologies. Engineers from both companies will work collaboratively at the EPIC Center to drive material innovation, process integration, and 3D advanced packaging to address the technological challenges of memory architectures beyond current nodes.

The EPIC Center, a $5 billion investment by Applied Materials, is reportedly the largest advanced semiconductor equipment R&D project in US history and was launched this year. Designed from the ground up, the center aims to significantly shorten the commercialization cycle of breakthrough technologies from early research to full-scale production. For chipmakers, the EPIC center offers the opportunity to participate earlier in Applied Materials' R&D projects, helping to accelerate the learning cycle and speed up the transfer of next-generation technologies to mass production.