[News] SK hynix Reportedly Launches M15 Pilot Line for 1b DRAM Production Amid Big Tech HBM Surge

As Samsung reportedly cleared NVIDIA’s qualification for its 12-layer HBM3E and races to catch up with other memory giants, SK hynix has fired up a pilot production line at its M15X facility in Cheongju, featuring 1b DRAM to meet growing HBM demand, according to The Bell.

The company plans to move in the equipment by November and hold a facility inauguration ceremony in Q4, with initial output targeted at 10,000 wafers per month, the report suggests. Notably, as per Aju News, while Samsung aims to deploy 1c DRAM for HBM4, both SK hynix and Micron are sticking with 1b DRAM.

It is worth noting that this expansion comes amid soaring HBM demand, fueled by major tech players such as NVIDIA, Google, and Amazon. According to The Bell, SK hynix is ramping up production in response to these big tech requests, and plans to further scale output once mass production approval is secured.

The HBM leader announced on September 12 that it has successfully completed the world’s first HBM4 development and is preparing for mass production. As The Bell notes, the company’s new pilot line at M15 boasts a significantly larger capacity, far exceeding typical test lines, which usually operate at just a few thousand wafers.

On the other hand, Business Post suggests that U.S. memory giant Micron appears to be facing headwinds, struggling not only to meet NVIDIA’s higher-speed specifications for HBM4 but also falling short on SOCAMM, where it is expected to receive the smallest order allocation from NVIDIA.

Read more

• [News] SK hynix Finalizes World’s First HBM4, Mass Production Ready, Eyes NVIDIA Approval
• [News] NVIDIA Rumored to Ditch SOCAMM1 for Next-Gen SOCAMM2, Opening Door for Samsung, SK hynix

(Photo credit: SK hynix)