SK hynix’s new 12-layer HMB3 with a 24GB capacity, which it announced on April 20. It is the only company in the world to have released this advanced of a 5th generation memory product

NVIDIA, the market leader in AI semiconductors, is reported to have requested a sample of the next-generation High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) that SK hynix is currently developing. As SK hynix solidifies its position as a key partner of NVIDIA, it is predicted to lead the market for next-generation DRAM.

According to the industry on June 14, SK hynix received a request from NVIDIA for a sample of HBM3E and is preparing one for shipment. HBM3E is the next generation of the highest specification DRAM currently available, HBM3, and is considered to be a 5th-generation semiconductor product.

SK hynix is currently developing the product with the goal of mass production in the first half of next year. Park Myung-soo, vice president of SK hynix, revealed in the first quarter earnings announcement conference call in April that “we are preparing 8 Gbps HBM3E product samples for the second half of this year and are preparing for mass production in the first half of next year.” Typically, after product development is completed, samples are shipped to customers for the certification process.

SK hynix is currently leading the HBM market ahead of Samsung Electronics. According to market research firm TrendForce, as of last year, SK hynix held a 50% global market share in HBM, while Samsung Electronics maintained 40%.

In June of last year, SK hynix became the first in the world to mass-produce the highest-performing DRAM, HBM3, seizing market leadership. It successfully supplied NVIDIA's H100 after passing stringent performance evaluations of HBM3 samples by demanding customers.

It is expected that if they succeed in delivering this 5th generation product, they will further solidify their position as the number one in the ultra-fast AI semiconductor market. NVIDIA dominates over 90% of the global graphics processing unit (GPU) market used in AI development.

In addition to HBM, SK hynix is also assessed to have secured a competitive advantage in the DDR5 market, which is the standard for next-generation DRAM. SK hynix acquired Intel certification for its 10 nm class 4th generation (1a) DDR5 server DRAM in January this year, becoming the first to do so.