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SK hynix licensed BeSang’s patented 3D IC innovations in 2013 for use in a broad range of its 3D IC products. BeSang described its TRUE 3D approach as building vertically stacked device layers; the announcement did not name specific patents or products. Later SK hynix HBM and packaging technologies do not, on the available evidence, establish that a product used BeSang’s licensed IP.
What the 2013 license covered
BeSang announced the agreement on October 29, 2013. Its press release says SK hynix obtained a license to use BeSang’s patented innovations in a broad range of SK hynix 3D IC products. It does not identify the licensed patent numbers or claims, nor does it name a specific product that would use them.
BeSang listed potential application areas including CPUs, DSPs, GPUs, ASICs, FPGAs, SoCs, DRAM, SRAM, flash, image sensors and SSDs. That is the company’s stated scope for the technology, not a list of SK hynix products confirmed to have incorporated it.
What BeSang meant by TRUE 3D IC
BeSang described TRUE 3D as a way to stack multiple device layers vertically. In a 2012 company explanation, it characterized the design as a “single-chip 3D IC” rather than conventional off-chip stacking of completed dies (BeSang’s 2012 explanation).
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EE Times’ contemporaneous October 29, 2013 report described BeSang’s process as low-temperature, layer-by-layer fabrication using traditional vias. It contrasted this with stacking finished dies connected by through-silicon vias (TSVs). These descriptions explain the architectural distinction; they are not independent performance measurements or proof of a commercial implementation.
What EE Times reported about the agreement
BeSang’s press release states the broad licensing scope but does not enumerate the contract terms below. EE Times reported that the agreement was:
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- Non-exclusive: the license did not give SK hynix exclusive rights to the technology.
- Paired with technology transfer and updates: EE Times reported these services were covered during a five-year service-fee period.
- Not a collaboration agreement: EE Times said the deal did not include collaboration between the companies.
Those details should be understood as terms reported by EE Times, not as language quoted from BeSang’s announcement.
Does a later SK hynix product show the license was used?
The available sources do not establish a named SK hynix product that implemented BeSang’s licensed technology. SK hynix’s later material discusses other 3D integration methods, including TSVs, micro-bumps and hybrid bonding, but does not connect those technologies to the BeSang agreement. Similarities in the broad idea of stacking layers or dies are not evidence that a particular product uses BeSang IP.
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SK hynix’s packaging-history article says the company developed and mass-produced TSV-structured HBM in 2013 (SK hynix packaging-history article). That event is part of the company’s packaging history; the article does not attribute it to BeSang’s license. A separate 2019 SK hynix article reported HBM2E capacity of up to 16 GB and bandwidth of 460 GB/s per stack (SK hynix’s 2019 HBM2E article). Those are historical HBM2E figures, not current HBM specifications or results linked to BeSang.
SK hynix’s current 3D packaging research overview describes vertical die stacking and approaches such as TSVs and hybrid bonding, along with engineering challenges including heat dissipation, testing, yield, power delivery and mechanical reliability. It provides context for the field, not evidence of BeSang technology in a current product. SK hynix’s later HBM collaboration with TSMC is a separate partnership concerning HBM4 base-die development and integration with TSMC’s CoWoS packaging.
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- 🍊[Three Memory Options]: We provides 32GB/64GB/256GB three options, our module offer ample storage capacity to cater to your diverse needs.No matter which memory option you choose, our products guarantee reliable performance, fast data transfer speeds, and exceptional durability.
- 🍊[Great Compatibility]: Orange Pi eMMC module is developed based on a high-performance controller and next-generation 3D NAND Flash, meeting the requirements for high performance, low power consumption, compatibility and stability of eMMC. In addition, the SoC-based Orange Pi eMMC Module also has good compatibility that support the eMMC interface.
- 🍊[High Cost Performance]: This Orange Pi eMMC has good compatibility and stability, and the working temperature range is also wide, it can work stably in normal environment between -25℃ ~ 85℃, it can be widely used in tablet PC, OTT, smart phone, smart TV and other fields.
What remains unknown
The public materials cited here do not establish which patent claims were licensed, whether the agreement remains in force or was amended or renewed, or whether a particular commercial product used BeSang’s innovations. Later SK hynix announcements about HBM, TSVs or packaging do not answer those questions.
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- This module uses serial Nor flash external memory expansion chip W25Q32 / W25Q64 / W25Q128.
- W25Q32: 32M - bit / 4M - byte
- W25Q64 : 64M - bit / 8M - byte.
- W25Q128: 128M - bit / 16M-byte.
- Supports SPI interface.
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