 |
Photo courtesy of Yonhap News |
[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun & Lee Joonhyun] Samsung Electronics is reported to be accelerating preparations for mass production of its 12-high HBM4 memory for Nvidia, following what sources describe as the completion of Nvidia’s final quality qualification process.
According to a report by Alpha Economy on January 25, Samsung’s Device Solutions (DS) division recently decided to begin wafer input for Nvidia-bound 12-high HBM4 products starting in February. These products reportedly entered Nvidia’s final qualification stage late last year, making Samsung the only supplier among the global top three memory makers to reach that phase, ahead of SK hynix and Micron.
Alpha Economy previously projected that the outcome of Samsung’s final qualification process would become clear after January 20, or by early February at the latest. Neither Samsung nor Nvidia has publicly confirmed the qualification results.
SK hynix, meanwhile, has decided to modify the design of its HBM4 products and reattempt Nvidia’s qualification process, highlighting the ongoing competitive dynamics in the high-bandwidth memory market.
A source familiar with Samsung’s internal operations was quoted as saying that, assuming the HBM4 12-high product passed Nvidia’s final qualification without design changes, approximately three months would be required to optimize the manufacturing process after wafer input begins in February. Under this scenario, mass-produced HBM4 volumes suitable for commercial supply could emerge by mid-May, with broader shipments expected to follow.
Market participants note that reports suggesting Samsung began supplying HBM4 to Nvidia as early as February are likely referring to limited quantities produced in December, rather than full-scale mass production.
Samsung is also said to be seeking to leverage the stabilization of its 12-high HBM4 to accelerate the technical ramp-up of higher-stack products, including 16-high HBM4, although timelines remain subject to customer validation and market conditions.
Alphabiz Reporter Kim Jisun(stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr)
