Technical Leader Choungki Song of the HBM Development team received the Bronze Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit at the 60th Invention Day ceremony held on May 19 at Coex Magok in Seoul.
To commemorate the 60th anniversary of Invention Day, the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) hosted a ceremony to present government awards to those who have made significant contributions to national industrial development through their inventions.
Song received the award in recognition of his contributions to advancing memory technology. His achievements include leading discussions on developing next-generation HBM1 products, reviewing and patenting hybrid bonding2 technology, and developing and patenting GDDR6-AiM3 with built-in PIM4 functionality. He is also known for standardizing and patenting DRAM technology through the Joint Electron Device Engineering Council (JEDEC), developing and patenting CXL5 prototypes, and conducting internal and external training programs to promote semiconductor memory technology.
1High Bandwidth Memory (HBM): A high-value, high-performance product that significantly enhances data processing speeds compared to conventional DRAMs by vertically stacking multiple DRAM chips. There are six generations of HBM, starting with the original HBM which was followed by HBM2, HBM2E, HBM3, HBM3E, and HBM4. The seventh generation HBM4E is currently under development.
2Hybrid bonding: A technology that directly connects chips without bumps when stacking. This allows the overall chip thickness to be reduced, enabling higher-layer stacking, and is considered a necessary technology for 16-layer and higher HBM products.
3Accelerator-in-Memory (AiM): SK hynix’s product name for PIM semiconductors, including GDDR6-AiM.
4Processing-In-Memory (PIM): A next-generation memory technology that integrates computational capabilities into memory, addressing data movement bottlenecks between memory and processors, significantly improving speed and performance.
5Compute Express Link (CXL): A next-generation interface that efficiently connects memory, storage, and processors in computing systems, enabling flexible expansion of capacity and bandwidth.
Song (right) receives the Bronze Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit from Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Dukgeun Ahn (center)
Song joined SK hynix in 2005 and has spent over 20 years as a memory design researcher. Starting with the development of DDR2, he has contributed to the development of numerous DRAM products. Throughout his career, he has filed and registered more than 300 patents related to memory technology standards defined by JEDEC, HBM, and next-generation memory technology innovations.
Many of the products incorporating these patented technologies have already been commercialized, creating significant economic value. His inventions related to future technologies are also regarded as key innovations that will help SK hynix secure a competitive edge in emerging markets.
Song’s efforts in patent development and expanding fundamental technological foundations have contributed to enhancing the competitiveness of both the nation and SK hynix. The company will continue to actively support its members’ research and development activities to further strengthen the leadership of the domestic semiconductor industry.
To find out more about Song’s work, the SK hynix Newsroom sat down with him to discuss his achievements and thoughts on receiving the award.
Contributing to Memory Innovation: From Next-Gen HBM to PIM and CXL
“I believe this award recognizes all SK hynix members who have dedicated themselves to proactive technology development,” he said. “Just as the company has long led the market, I hope we continue to strengthen our technological leadership.”
Song played a pivotal role in the development of next-generation HBM, a key contribution that led to his receipt of the Bronze Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit. In particular, he took the lead in proposing technologies for custom HBM tailored to the design needs of global tech clients.
“The era of custom HBM, with enhanced features tailored to customer needs, is nearly upon us,” he said. “This goes beyond simply improving product performance and involves redefining the boundary between memory and logic chips.”
Regarding this, Song introduced an innovative interface to the base die connecting HBM and logic semiconductors, thereby enabling high-speed operation and access to heterogeneous types of memory such as LPDDR6. He also filed patents covering various functions including memory controller and power management technologies. Additionally, he proposed a technology that increases the bandwidth of next-generation HBM, enhancing the potential to further improve product performance.
6Low Power Double Data Rate (LPDDR) Low-power DRAM for mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets, aimed at minimizing power consumption and featuring low voltage operation.
Furthermore, Song contributed to the development of hybrid bonding technology for the implementation of next-generation, high-capacity HBM products.
“To create higher-layer HBM products, it was necessary to go beyond the existing stacking process,” he revealed. “A new stacking structure was required that considered not only simple layering but also electrical signal stability and thermal management. To achieve this, we conducted countless simulations and experiments.”
He is also leading advanced research in next-generation semiconductor technologies such as PIM and CXL. These technologies have gained attention and been featured at major international conferences.
“PIM is a type of active memory with computational capabilities,” he said. “Our development of GDDR6-AiM was the first attempt to prove this potential in the real world. When memory itself performs computations, it can dramatically reduce data bottlenecks in existing systems. Next-generation memory is evolving into a flexible architecture that goes beyond simple storage to encompass both computation and connectivity. I believe PIM and CXL will be the key drivers of this transformation.”
Over 300 Patent Filings: “Safeguarding Technology Is as Important as Innovating”
Standardizing DRAM technology, which is a core product of SK hynix, is another of Song’s major contributions. He has participated in the JEDEC standardization process from DDR2 to DDR6, leading the way in the definition and verification of numerous functions.
“Standardization is a process as challenging and complex as developing new technologies,” he stated. “It requires meeting both performance and reliability standards while coordinating with various global companies. However, these processes are essential to enable fair competition and mutual collaboration. Standardization is a crucial step to ensure that the innovations we have pioneered are properly recognized for their true value.”
Song expressed his satisfaction for the more than 300 patents he has filed and registered
“Patents are the embodiment of our hard work and the most reliable way to protect the technologies we have secured,” Song claimed. “As competition in the semiconductor industry intensifies, the importance of patents grows even greater. Securing these patents is not only about benefiting SK hynix but also about safeguarding South Korea’s technological sovereignty. I am deeply honored and truly grateful to receive the Bronze Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit, which affirms that the efforts we’ve made have been truly meaningful.”
In addition, Song is dedicated to spreading his technological knowledge both inside and outside the company. Leveraging his diverse development experience, he not only mentors colleagues internally but also delivers lectures to KIPO examiners, actively sharing his expertise in technology protection and strategic patent discovery.
He concluded by describing this award as the “beginning of greater responsibility” and shared his aspirations for the future.
“The Bronze Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit is a great personal honor, but it was also a moment that made me once again feel the true weight of technology,” he said. “Moving forward, I will continue to do my best not only in technology development but also in passing it on to the next generation.”
