Yazılar

SK Hynix Prepares HBM4 Production to Defend Market Lead Over Rivals

/in /tarafından

SK Hynix (000660.KS) announced on Friday that it has completed internal certification of its HBM4 (high-bandwidth memory 4) chips and established a production system, positioning itself to maintain its dominance in the advanced memory market.

Key Developments

  • In March 2025, SK Hynix shipped 12-layer HBM4 chip samples to customers.

  • The company aims to complete mass production preparations for these chips within H2 2025.

  • Shares rose 7% to a record high of 328,500 won ($236.71), outperforming the benchmark KOSPI’s 1.5% gain.

Market Context

  • HBM technology: First introduced in 2013, HBM stacks DRAM vertically to save space, cut power use, and process vast data volumes required by AI workloads.

  • Market share: SK Hynix is projected to hold about 60% of the HBM market in 2026, down slightly from its current 66%, according to Meritz Securities.

  • Customers: Nvidia remains its largest client, though Samsung Electronics and Micron supply smaller volumes.

Rival Strategies

  • Samsung Electronics: Plans to use a 1c-nanometer node for HBM4, compared to SK Hynix’s 1b-nanometer process, signaling a push to catch up despite a weaker track record. Samsung already provided HBM4 samples to customers and plans to start supply in 2026.

  • Micron: Competing with custom-built logic dies (“base dies”) that make it harder for customers to switch suppliers.

Industry Impact

  • SK Hynix’s first-mover advantage in HBM4 is expected to secure early contracts with major AI players like Nvidia.

  • Analysts note that customer-specific base dies mark a technological shift that could lock buyers into long-term supplier relationships.

Market Performance YTD

  • SK Hynix: +88.9%

  • Samsung Electronics: +41.7%

  • Micron (Nasdaq): +78.9%

  • KOSPI benchmark: +41.5%

U.S. Considers Annual Chip Supply Approvals for Samsung and SK Hynix China Plants

/in /tarafından

The United States is weighing a proposal to require Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix to seek annual approvals for shipping chipmaking equipment and supplies to their China-based factories, Bloomberg reported Monday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The plan, presented by the U.S. Commerce Department to Korean officials last week, would replace the current validated end user (VEU) designations that granted the chipmakers indefinite export authorizations. Those designations are set to expire at the end of 2025.

Under the draft proposal, Samsung and SK Hynix would need yearly approval for specific quantities of restricted tools and materials, adding regulatory steps but ensuring their Chinese fabs can keep operating. The companies are among the largest foreign chipmakers with plants in China, supplying memory chips vital to global electronics.

Reactions in Seoul were mixed—officials expressed relief that a framework for continued operations remains, but concern over the added bureaucratic burden and potential supply chain uncertainties.

The move comes against the backdrop of intensifying U.S.-China semiconductor tensions. Since 2022, Washington has imposed sweeping export controls to curb Beijing’s chip and AI capabilities. The Biden administration had granted waivers to Samsung, SK Hynix, and TSMC to soften the blow to allied companies, but the Trump administration has pushed for tighter oversight.

The situation is further complicated by political strain: Washington revoked prior waivers days after former South Korean President Lee Jae Myung—who advocated a more balanced U.S.-China stance—signed a defense and investment deal with Trump. Recent U.S. immigration raids on Korean firms’ American subsidiaries have also fueled friction.

Trump to Hit Semiconductor Imports with Tariffs Unless Firms Build in U.S.

/in /tarafından

President Donald Trump announced Thursday that his administration will impose tariffs on semiconductor imports from companies that do not move production to the United States. Speaking ahead of a dinner with top tech CEOs, Trump said the tariffs would be “fairly substantial” but would not apply to companies already investing in U.S. manufacturing.

Trump framed the move as part of his broader strategy of using tariffs to pressure foreign companies and governments to shift production and jobs into the U.S. “If they are not coming in, there is a tariff,” he said. He singled out Apple CEO Tim Cook, noting that Apple’s $600 billion commitment to domestic investment puts it “in pretty good shape.”

The policy comes as global chipmakers respond to U.S. pressure. Taiwan’s TSMC, South Korea’s Samsung, and SK Hynix have all announced major U.S. semiconductor plant investments. Trump had previously floated a 100% tariff on imported chips but said exemptions would apply for companies producing or planning facilities inside the country.

The announcement underscores Trump’s second-term emphasis on tariffs as a cornerstone of economic and foreign policy, a tool he has wielded to renegotiate trade terms and gain leverage in geopolitical disputes. However, legal challenges loom: lower courts have invalidated parts of his earlier tariff regime, and the administration has asked the Supreme Court to uphold the sweeping emergency powers used to justify them.