On July 1st, industry insiders revealed that Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron Technology are all in the production phase of the fifth generation of High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) products, specifically HBM3E. The three companies are locked in a fierce technological race. SK Hynix is currently leading in terms of production volume and supply, having started mass production of HBM3E in the second quarter. However, challenges in expanding HBM3E production capacity have emerged, with NVIDIA pressuring SK Hynix to increase supply. Micron Technology, despite its sales to NVIDIA amounting to $100 million from March to May, faces its own production challenges and profitability concerns. The industry anticipates Micron's plans for large-scale production and supply of HBM3E in the coming year, but a significant increase in supply within this year seems unlikely.

Samsung Electronics is reportedly operating its entire memory production line at maximum capacity to meet the growing demand for memory products. The South Korean tech giant is focusing on converting its traditional DRAM and NAND to cutting-edge HBM (High Bandwidth Memory) products, with the aim of expanding HBM production capacity to 170,000 units per month by the end of the year. This strategic move is driven by anticipated negative growth in traditional memory production capacity due to process conversion and the expected demand-supply gap in the memory market in 2024.

Samsung Electronics is reportedly in the final stages of negotiations to secure up to 50 trillion won (approximately $3.6 billion) in loans from the state-owned Korea Development Bank (KDB) to finance the expansion of its chip production facilities in South Korea and overseas. This loan request is part of the government's low-interest loan program, which aims to bolster the domestic semiconductor industry.

South Korea is set to invest 274.4 billion won, equivalent to approximately $200 million, in a national-level semiconductor packaging technology research and development project. This strategic move aims to develop key technologies for high-performance, low-power chips necessary for artificial intelligence applications and to narrow the gap in the semiconductor back-end process market where South Korea currently holds less than 10% of the market share.

SK hynix reported that the manufacturing yield of the 3D DRAM, stacked in five layers, recorded 56.1%.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), in collaboration with its subsidiary Creative Electronics, has reportedly won a significant order for the next-generation HBM4 interface chips from SK Hynix. This partnership highlights TSMC's advanced chip manufacturing capabilities and signals its expansion into the HBM4 and advanced packaging technology markets.

Samsung Electronics is set to resume the foundational construction of its new semiconductor factory, P5, in Pyeongtaek, as the semiconductor industry begins to recover. The decision comes in response to the rapidly growing demand for storage semiconductors, particularly driven by the AI boom. With the construction of P5 expected to provide significant production capacity for both memory and system semiconductors, the factory's completion is anticipated to be in April 2027, subject to market conditions.

Transcend, a prominent memory product manufacturer, has shared its market outlook during its shareholders' meeting, projecting a sustained high inventory value of 5 billion New Taiwan Dollars and gross margins expected to exceed 30%. The company attributes this to the upcoming launch of AI PC products, which will significantly boost demand in the channel market, and the potential for increased sales in the industrial application sector.

Samsung Electronics' memory semiconductor division has unveiled plans for an organizational restructuring in the second half of the year, signaling a potential breakthrough in core businesses such as High Bandwidth Memory (HBM). The announcement was made during a town hall meeting led by the new head of the Device Solutions (DS) division, emphasizing the importance of synergy and streamlining within the company.

Driven by the global surge in AI technology, Micron Technology is actively expanding its High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) production capabilities worldwide. According to Nikkei Asia, Micron aims to rapidly increase its market share in the HBM sector to approximately 20% by 2025, aligning with its overall revenue share in the DRAM industry.

The global semiconductor industry is on track for significant capacity expansion, with the Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI) reporting an expected increase of 6% in 2024 and 7% in 2025, setting new records for manufacturing capacity. This surge is primarily driven by the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in data centers and advanced devices, with a projected 13% growth in 5-nanometer and below process technologies in 2024.

Samsung Electronics is set to revolutionize the high bandwidth memory (HBM) market with the introduction of a 3D packaging service for HBM chips, expected to be utilized in the upcoming HBM4 generation in 2025. This advancement marks a significant step in the evolution of chip packaging technology, with potential implications for the burgeoning AI chip industry.

SK Hynix is fully committed to expanding its 5th generation (1b) 10nm DRAM production to meet the growing demand for next-generation high bandwidth memory (HBM). The company plans to increase its monthly production capacity to 90,000 wafers by the end of this year, a 20,000 wafer increase compared to last year's plan. The industry anticipates that the strong demand for HBM could lead to further expansion of the production increase.

QLC technology allows for the storage of four bits per cell, compared to three bits for TLC, and two and one bit for Multi-Level Cell (MLC) and Single-Level Cell (SLC), respectively. This means QLC NAND can further increase storage capacity compared to other NAND types.

SK hynix claimed that its HBM, manufactured with the company’s unique Mass Reflow-Molded Underfill (MR-MUF) technology, is 60% sturdier than products made using Thermal Compression-Non-Conductive Film (TC-NCF).