SK Hynix's Mid-to-Long-Term DRAM Expansion Plan Revealed

According to South Korean media, SK Hynix has shared a mid-to-long-term expansion plan with its key partners, aiming to double its current DRAM wafer capacity between 2030 and 2031.

Notably, the preparation for this plan predates NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang's gesture of writing "Please make more" on an SK Hynix DRAM wafer at COMPUTEX. Reports indicate that about two months ago, SK Hynix's procurement department and executives in charge of the Yongin Semiconductor Cluster began notifying core suppliers about this capacity expansion roadmap based on wafer starts.

The core objective of the plan is to increase monthly DRAM capacity from the current approximately 550,000 wafers (which includes around 200,000 wafers produced at the Wuxi plant in China) to roughly one million wafers by 2030. This expansion will be heavily concentrated in the Yongin Semiconductor Cluster.

Under the blueprint, SK Hynix has divided the first phase of the Yongin wafer fab into six cleanrooms. The equipment installation schedule for the first cleanroom (Phase 1) has been brought forward from the originally planned May 2027 to February 2027. After completing equipment calibration and adding a capacity of 60,000 wafers, the remaining capacity will be gradually released over the following three years, totaling an additional 360,000 wafers. Based on these calculations, the Phase 1 Yongin fab alone could add a monthly DRAM capacity of 360,000 wafers by the first half of 2030.

Meanwhile, the currently expanding Cheongju M15X wafer fab will also contribute to the incremental output. It is expected to commence operations in the second half of this year with an initial monthly capacity of 40,000 wafers, ramping up to approximately 80,000 wafers next year. Combining the newly added 360,000 wafers from the Yongin cluster and the 80,000 wafers from the M15X expansion, SK Hynix's total monthly DRAM capacity is projected to reach the one-million-wafer milestone around 2030 to 2031.

Based on existing plans, all newly added capacity will focus exclusively on the DRAM sector; as for NAND flash memory, future advancements will primarily be driven through technological upgrades (such as increasing the number of layers).

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won explicitly stated at COMPUTEX 2026: "We will push forward at full speed to double our overall wafer capacity within five years." Industry insiders believe this statement aligns perfectly with the aforementioned internal expansion plan.

Addressing external concerns regarding memory price fluctuations, Chey emphasized on-site: "Sudden spikes in prices could undermine the sustainability of the entire industry. For the long-term development of the ecosystem, stability is paramount." These remarks further demonstrate SK Group's determination to steadfastly advance its long-term expansion strategy without being swayed by short-term price movements.