TSMC to build base dies for Nvidia’s custom HBM chips

Nvidia wants its AI memory built a very specific way. It also wants one company doing the most important part of the building. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company will reportedly supply its 3nm process technology for the base dies of Nvidia’s custom high-bandwidth memory stacks, a product line Nvidia calls NVHBM. The arrangement, reported on October 18, 2026, draws all three major memory makers into TSMC’s orbit: Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and Micron. The most eye-catching detail involves Samsung. This is reportedly the first time Samsung has worked with TSMC on HBM base die manufacturing specifically. What Nvidia is actually asking for Nvidia announced NVHBM in August 2026. The goal was to standardize the way custom HBM gets built, rather than letting each memory supplier take its own approach. NVHBM moves Nvidia’s own memory controller into the base die. The controller is the logic that directs traffic between the memory and the processor. Nvidia says the payoff is substantial. NVHBM is designed to deliver up to a 30% increase in memory bandwidth and 15% lower power consumption compared to standard HBM4E. Pushing the controller into the base die also optimizes area usa...