Applied Materials, Inc. has announced major R&D partnerships with memory giants Micron Technology and SK Hynix, making both  as partners of its new Equipment and Process Innovation and Commercialization (EPIC) Center. The collaborations aim to bridge the “lab-to-fab” gap, accelerating the development of next-generation DRAM and High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM) essential for the AI era.

The US$5 billion EPIC Center, located in Silicon Valley and set to open this year, represents the largest-ever U.S. investment in semiconductor equipment R&D. By bringing chipmakers directly into the equipment development process, Applied Materials aims to reduce the time required to commercialize breakthrough technologies by several years.

Related article: Applied Materials’ EPIC R&D Platform to Accelerate IC Innovation

Strengthening the U.S. Pipeline

The partnership with Micron focuses on creating a unique “lab-to-fab” pipeline between Applied’s EPIC Center and Micron’s state-of-the-art innovation hub in Boise, Idaho. The joint efforts will target new materials and architectures for DRAM and NAND storage, specifically optimized for power-intensive AI workloads.

“Memory and storage are essential enablers of AI, and sustained innovation in these technologies is critical to unlocking AI’s full potential,” said Sanjay Mehrotra, Chairman, President and CEO of Micron Technology. “…Combined with Micron’s U.S.-based R&D and manufacturing hubs, this partnership creates a unique lab-to-fab pipeline to advance American memory innovation.”

Teams from Applied Materials and Micron are collaborating on the development of next-generation materials, process technologies and architectures for advanced DRAM, HBM, and NAND for AI applications. Moreover, they will also cover development on advanced packaging to enable high-bandwidth, low-power memory solutions for power-intensive AI workloads.

A Global Collaboration for HBM

Concurrently, Applied Materials and SK hynix have entered a long-term agreement to tackle the scaling challenges of AI memory. This collaboration will leverage the EPIC Center’s high-velocity co-innovation model in California while tapping into Applied’s advanced packaging R&D capabilities in Singapore.

The focus will be on 3D advanced packaging and thermal management—critical hurdles for HBM-class devices.

“One of the biggest hurdles in AI progress is the growing disconnect between memory speeds and processors,” said Nohjung Kwak, CEO of SK hynix. “Partnering at the new EPIC Center will deliver a roadmap of innovations optimized for AI.”

Meanwhile, Dr. Prabu Raja, President of Semiconductor Products Group at Applied Materials said the collaboration with SK Hynix will enable them to co-optimize the entire technology stack and accelerate the path to manufacturable memory innovations.

Industry Impact

By securing the industry’s leading memory manufacturers as inaugural partners, Applied Materials is positioning the EPIC Center as the central hub for the semiconductor ecosystem.

Gary Dickerson, President and CEO of Applied Materials, said in separate events that the company are ecstatic on having Micron and SK Hynix as founding partners at EPIC. “Next-generation memory technologies play an increasingly vital role in the future of AI systems, and together we will drive breakthroughs that accelerate commercialization for the industry.”

12 March 2026