Delivery Urgency Detected
"8-Layer Supply in Q3" Declared
HBM Market SK's Chase Opportunity
Foreign media reported that Samsung Electronics' 5th generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM3E) 8-stack product has passed Nvidia's quality verification (qual test). Although Samsung Electronics stated that the qual test for the product is still ongoing, there is an interpretation that an important opportunity to regain competitiveness in the HBM market is imminent.
Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, signed the Samsung Electronics 5th generation High Bandwidth Memory (HBM), HBM3E. [Photo by Yonhap News]
On the 7th (local time), major foreign media, citing three anonymous sources, reported that Samsung Electronics' HBM3E 8-stack has passed Nvidia's qual test and is expected to sign a supply contract soon. The supply timing is anticipated to be in the fourth quarter of this year. They also added that the industry-first HBM3E 12-stack test developed by Samsung Electronics last February is still underway.
Samsung Electronics' delivery of 5th generation HBM to Nvidia is a hot topic in the semiconductor industry. Following reports in May that Samsung Electronics' HBM products had not yet passed quality tests due to issues with heat generation and power consumption, news emerged on the 24th of last month that the 4th generation HBM, HBM3, had passed Nvidia's qual test, drawing attention. Samsung Electronics denied the foreign media reports related to the 5th generation, stating that the process is "still ongoing."
However, there is a sense that the HBM3E 8-stack product is close to passing Nvidia's qual test. Samsung Electronics declared during its Q2 earnings conference call that mass production and supply of the HBM3E 8-stack product will be in full swing in Q3. Kim Jae-jun, Vice President and Head of Strategic Marketing at the Memory Business Division of the Device Solutions (DS) division, said, "The HBM3E 8-stack product is undergoing normal customer evaluations, and mass production and supply are expected to be in full swing during Q3."
Interest is also focused on whether Samsung Electronics' start of HBM3E 8-stack product delivery to Nvidia will cause a paradigm shift in the 'SK Hynix dominance and Micron pursuit' structure. SK Hynix plans to mass-produce 12-stack HBM in Q3 and supply it to customers in Q4. They also stated that the 6th generation HBM4 is scheduled to ship in the second half of next year.
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