Samsung making 'significant progress' toward supplying Nvidia with HBM

Samsung Electronics, which currently lags behind rival SK hynix in high bandwidth memory (HBM) production, said it has made “significant progress” on its high bandwidth memory 3E (HBM3E) chips.

Samsung Electronics' logo on a flag at the company's office building in Secho District, southern Seoul [YONHAP]

Samsung Electronics, which currently lags behind rival SK hynix in high bandwidth memory (HBM) production, said it has made “significant progress” on its high bandwidth memory 3E (HBM3E) chips and plans to expand their sales.

Executive Vice President Kim Jae-june attempted to to quell investor concerns that the company's struggles to obtain official certification from Nvidia, which SK hynix is already supplying with HBM3E, could indicate issues with the quality of its latest memory stacks. “Although the commercialization of HBM3E chips for major clients has been delayed compared to expectations, we have made significant process by completing critical steps in the quality testing with key clients, which should enable expanded sales in the fourth quarter,” Kim said on the company's earnings call Thursday.

“We are planning on releasing improved HBM3E chips based on timeline of next-generation GPUs that our major clients are working on.”

The company is currently at work on HBM4 with plans to begin production in the latter half of next year.

“We are preparing for the commercialization of customized HBM chips with multiple clients,” Kim said. “What’s essential there is the customers’ requirements, so we plan to respond flexibly by selecting foundry partners for base die manufacturing based on their preferences, regardless whether they are internal or external.”

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