[News] Samsung Reportedly Supplies 60%+ of Google TPU HBM3E, Set to Remain Primary Supplier in 2026

Google’s TPUs are emerging as a credible alternative to NVIDIA, and Samsung is reportedly supplying the majority of the HBM fueling that momentum. According to Hankyung, industry sources say Samsung Electronics provides more than 60% of Google’s HBM shipments in 2025 through Broadcom. The report also notes that Samsung is expected to remain Google’s primary HBM supplier in 2026 through its Broadcom deliveries.

The report explains that SK hynix dominates Broadcom–Google HBM orders in the first half of the year, but Samsung expands its shipments in the second half, resulting in a full-year turnaround. Samsung’s second-half surge is made possible by resolving heat issues through a redesign of its 1a-class DRAM. According to the report, citing industry sources, Samsung clears NVIDIA’s HBM3E qualification tests in late September, though its strategic focus throughout remains on Broadcom.

Samsung’s HBM4 Design and Qualification Status

On HBM4, the report notes that Samsung is taking an aggressive approach, using 10-nanometer-class (1c) 6th-generation DRAM as the base die and a 4-nm foundry process for the logic die—making it the first to exceed operating speeds of 11 Gb/s. The report adds that at the International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) 2026 on October 26, Samsung unveils an HBM4 device with 36 GB of capacity and 3.3 TB/s of bandwidth.

Samsung is currently shipping HBM4 samples to key customers such as NVIDIA for qualification testing. According to the report, sources expect feedback to come back “positive” as early as this month. Once certification is secured, Samsung already has a full mass-production system ready, enabling it to scale HBM4 output, as the report notes.

SK hynix’s HBM4 Outlook and Customer Strategy

As for SK hynix, the company says it is ramping up meaningful wafer starts in the fourth quarter of 2025, with substantial production expected to come online by late Q2 2026. The report notes that NVIDIA remains SK hynix’s primary target customer, and industry sources expect the company to continue serving as NVIDIA’s main HBM4 supplier given their long-standing partnership.

On the Google side, SK hynix indicates that rapidly scaling HBM volumes is difficult. The report also highlights that, aside from NVIDIA, customers such as Google account for about 30% of the company’s revenue. SK hynix says its core source of HBM4 demand in 2026 continues to be its main customer and, according to the report, it does not anticipate major changes in its customer mix next year.

As for Micron, Yonhap News notes that the company’s HBM wafer capacity amounts to only about one-third of that of Korean rivals, limiting its ability to flexibly support ASIC customers beyond its core client, NVIDIA.

Read more

• [News] AI Memory Showdown: SK hynix Unveils 48 Gb/s GDDR7 and LPDDR6; Samsung Showcases HBM4
• [News] Meta Reportedly Weighs Google TPU Deployment in 2027, Boosting Broadcom, Taiwan’s GUC

(Photo credit: Samsung)