SK chair calls for SK hynix to accelerate sixth-gen HBM4 chip production

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won called on SK hynix to move up the commercialization of sixth-generation HBM4 chips to next year.

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, left, inspects SK hynix's Icheon chip factory in Gyeonggi on Monday. [SK]

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won urged SK hynix executives to accelerate the process for early commercialization of sixth-generation HBM4 chips next year, downplaying concerns over an AI bubble that are brewing in the global stock market.

SK hynix pushed up its plans to mass-produce 12-layered HBM4 — premium high bandwidth memory chips — to the latter half of 2025 from its initial goal of 2026.

In relation to the AI bubble, Chey remained resolute that the industry is on "an unstoppable trend" and that "only companies that can seize the opportunity amid crisis can survive to dominate the industry" in a statement released after his visit to SK hynix's chip factory in Icheon, Gyeonggi, to inspect the HBM production line on Monday. The Icheon plant began manufacturing eight-layered HBM3E in March.

Rival chipmaker Samsung Electronics is also planning to start shipping sixth-generation HBM4 chips by the latter half of 2025.

SK hynix's 12-layered HBM3E chips are scheduled to enter mass production from the third quarter and begin shipments to clients from the fourth quarter.

“SK hynix is currently recognized in the HBM market, but the competition [among global chipmakers] is likely to intensify with the commercialization of sixth-generation HBM4,” Chey said, emphasizing the need for efficient investment as well as consistent research and development (R&D) in the sector. “From now on, we need to fiercely deliberate on business models for next-generation chips instead of settling for what we have now.”

The chairman’s visit comes seven months after his last visit in January, where he convened a meeting with SK hynix executives, including CEO Kwak Noh-jung as well as company presidents Song Hyun-jong and Kim Ju-seon, to discuss ways to strengthen the chipmaker’s product line as well as technologies for dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and NAND flash.

Sales of HBM, an essential part of the processors used to power AI, played a critical role in driving up SK hynix’s revenue in the second quarter. The company’s HBM sales skyrocketed more than 250 percent compared to the year before.

Urging consistent R&D and investment in the sector, Chey said that global Big Tech firms are “paying avid interest” in SK hynix’s HBM technologies.

The SK chief has been making rounds across the world to forge a global AI network this year, meeting with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang in April and TSMC Chairman C.C. Wei in June. That same month, Chey embarked on a two-week trip to the U.S. to meet with Big Tech heads of OpenAI, Microsoft, Amazon and Intel.

BY LEE JAE-LIM [lee.jaelim@joongang.co.kr]