韩国供应商赢得更多SK海力士HBM4测试仪订单
韩国设备制造商在SK海力士高带宽存储器（HBM）晶圆测试设备供应链中角色扩大。Digital Frontier和UniTest已获得额外订单，表明SK海力士正增加对韩国本土测试设备供应商的采购，以支持其HBM4产品的生产。
原文深度解读
本文报道了韩国设备制造商在SK海力士高带宽存储器（HBM）晶圆测试设备供应链中角色扩大的情况。Digital Frontier和UniTest已获得额外订单，合计金额达2839.4亿韩元，用于HBM4晶圆测试相关设备。文章指出，SK海力士正在多元化其此前以日本供应商Advantest为主的供应链，并预计随着HBM4量产推进，对专用测试设备的需求将持续增长。
- Digital Frontier和UniTest今年从SK海力士获得了总计2839.4亿韩元的HBM4晶圆测试相关设备订单。
- Digital Frontier（DI子公司）累计获得2321亿韩元HBM4晶圆测试机订单，UniTest获得518.4亿韩元。
- 两家公司传统上专注于传统DRAM和NAND闪存测试机，现正扩大HBM专用设备供应。
- Digital Frontier自HBM3代起向SK海力士供应晶圆测试机，UniTest则从HBM4开始进入供应链，并于今年早些时候完成了HBM4老化测试机的量产认证测试。
- 晶圆测试是在晶圆切割成单个芯片前检查半导体电气性能并识别缺陷芯片的过程；HBM堆叠多个DRAM芯片，因此在堆叠前筛选缺陷芯片对最终封装良率至关重要。
- 随着HBM代际进步，专用晶圆测试设备需求上升；早期HBM产品可使用适配的DRAM晶圆测试机，但测试项目和时间的增加使专用设备更必要。
供应链影响
- SK海力士的HBM测试设备供应链可能进一步多元化，减少对日本供应商Advantest的依赖，但具体程度取决于韩国供应商的产能和良率表现。
- 随着HBM4量产推进，对专用测试设备的需求可能持续增长，这可能影响设备供应商的订单和收入，但取决于SK海力士的产量爬坡速度。
- 韩国设备供应商在HBM测试领域的角色可能扩大，但可能仅限于特定测试功能（如晶圆测试和老化测试），其他环节可能仍由现有供应商主导。
- HBM代际升级可能推动测试设备需求增长快于产量增长，这可能促使更多供应商进入市场，但取决于技术复杂度和认证周期。
- SK海力士计划下半年提高HBM4产量，这可能带动相关设备订单增加，但实际影响取决于市场对HBM4的需求和公司产能规划。
系统解读，仅作为判断线索，不构成备货、出货、涨价或投资建议。
UniTest晶圆测试设备。（照片=UniTest）
韩国设备制造商在SK海力士高带宽存储器（HBM）晶圆测试设备供应链中角色正在扩大。Digital Frontier和UniTest已获得额外订单，表明此前以日本供应商为中心的供应结构正在多元化。
据业内人士8月24日透露，Digital Frontier和UniTest今年从SK海力士获得了总计2839.4亿韩元的HBM4晶圆测试相关设备订单。
Digital Frontier是DI的子公司，累计获得2321亿韩元的HBM4晶圆测试机订单，而UniTest获得518.4亿韩元。两家公司传统上专注于传统DRAM和NAND闪存测试机，但正在扩大HBM专用设备的供应。
在HBM测试设备供应链中增加韩国供应商，此前该供应链由日本半导体测试专家Advantest主导，这表明供应商基础更加广泛。韩国供应商通过承担和补充特定测试功能来扩大其存在。
Digital Frontier自HBM3代起向SK海力士供应晶圆测试机，而UniTest从HBM4开始进入供应链。UniTest表示，今年早些时候完成了SK海力士HBM4老化测试机的量产认证测试。
晶圆测试是在晶圆被切割成单个芯片之前，检查半导体电气性能并识别缺陷芯片的过程。由于HBM堆叠多个DRAM芯片，在堆叠前筛选出缺陷芯片对最终封装良率至关重要。
随着HBM代际变得更加先进，对专用晶圆测试设备的需求正在上升。早期的HBM产品可以使用适用于HBM应用的DRAM晶圆测试机。然而，随着测试项目和所需测试时间的增加，专用HBM测试设备变得更加必要。
“每一代新的HBM都需要更多的测试项目和更长的测试时间，因此测试设备的需求可能比产量增长得更快，”一位行业官员表示。“从HBM4开始，从多个供应商获取专用测试设备的推动可能会更加明显。”
相关设备的需求预计将持续。SK海力士在第二季度开始批量出货HBM4，并计划在下半年提高产量。
UniTest wafer tester equipment. (Photo=UniTest)
South Korean equipment makers are gaining a larger role in SK Hynix's supply chain for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) wafer test equipment. Digital Frontier and UniTest have secured additional orders, signaling a diversification of a supply structure that had been centered on Japanese suppliers.
According to industry sources on Aug. 24, Digital Frontier and UniTest have won a combined 283.94 billion KRW in orders from SK Hynix this year for equipment related to HBM4 wafer testing.
Digital Frontier, a subsidiary of DI, has accumulated 232.1 billion KRW in HBM4 wafer tester orders, while UniTest has secured 51.84 billion KRW. Both companies have traditionally focused on testers for conventional DRAM and NAND flash memory, but are expanding their supply of equipment designed for HBM.
The addition of Korean suppliers to an HBM test-equipment supply chain previously dominated by Japanese semiconductor-test specialist Advantest points to a broader supplier base. Korean vendors are expanding their presence by taking on and complementing specific testing functions.
Digital Frontier has supplied wafer testers to SK Hynix since the HBM3 generation, while UniTest entered the supply chain with HBM4. UniTest said it completed mass-production qualification testing for an HBM4 burn-in tester for SK Hynix earlier this year.
Wafer testing is the process of checking a semiconductor's electrical performance and identifying defective chips while they remain on the wafer, before the wafer is cut into individual dies. Because HBM stacks multiple DRAM dies, screening out defective dies before stacking is critical to final package yield.
Demand for dedicated wafer testers is rising as HBM generations become more advanced. Earlier HBM products could use DRAM wafer testers adapted for HBM applications. However, as the number of test items and required test time have increased, purpose-built HBM test equipment has become more necessary.
“Each new HBM generation requires more test items and longer testing time, so demand for test equipment could grow faster than output volumes,” an industry official said. “Starting with HBM4, the push to secure dedicated test equipment from multiple suppliers is likely to become more pronounced.”
Demand for related equipment is expected to continue. SK Hynix began mass shipments of HBM4 in the second quarter and plans to ramp up production in the second half of the year.