SK hynix has selected five outstanding inventions from joint research with universities that can enhance the competitiveness of next-generation memory technology. The aim is to discover industry-academia research achievements that can lead to actual product development, such as high-speed memory interfaces and next-generation memory electrodes, to secure future technologies.
On September 16, SK hynix held the '2026 Industry-Academia Research Project Outstanding Invention Awards' at its Icheon campus. Since 2013, the company has awarded inventions with high technological performance and patent value from joint research projects each year. This year, it reviewed 26 industry-academia patents filed last year, selecting one grand prize, one excellence award, and three encouragement awards.
The grand prize was awarded to Professor Choi Woo-seok of Seoul National University for his patent on 'Circuit Design for Next-Generation Multi-Level Signal Transmission.' This technology reduces power noise that occurs during the rapid and efficient data exchange between operational chips and memory, enhancing the stability of high-speed data transmission. Its potential has been recognized as memory interface speeds become increasingly important with the expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing.
The excellence award went to Professor Kim Hyung-jun of Yonsei University for his technology on controlling the characteristics of electrode materials and devices for next-generation memory. This technology allows for the control of electrode and device characteristics by adjusting process conditions without the need for separate materials or complex additional processes. It has been evaluated for its high level of completeness, having been validated at the actual device level for application in product development.
The encouragement awards were given to Professor Hwang Cheol-seong of Seoul National University for his vertical SOM cell deposition process, Professor Choi Byung-jun of Seoul Tech for his precursor and process for next-generation memory, and Professor Han Jae-deok of Hanyang University for his patents on UFS 5.0 and next-generation M-PHY high-speed interface circuits.
Cha Seon-yong, head of SK hynix's Future Technology Research Institute, stated, "We expect that the outstanding patents discovered through industry-academia collaboration will contribute to enhancing the technological competitiveness of the domestic semiconductor industry. We will continue to provide active support to ensure that challenging and innovative research can be conducted actively."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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