- SK Hynix sees memory needs with high bandwidth growing 30% annually through 2030
- US tariffs may not affect South Korean chipmakers thanks to major US investments
- HBM technology stacks chips vertically for greater efficiency and reduced energy consumption
SK Hynix predicts rapid expansion in the AI memory segment, which estimates an annual growth rate of 30% for high bandwidth memory (HBM) until 2030.
The company’s projection comes in the midst of uncertainty about potential US customs of approx. 100% on semiconductor chips from nations without US production operations.
While US President Donald Trump said the customs plan would target “all chips and semiconductors coming to the United States,” South Korean officials stated that both SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics would not be subject to the measures due to their ongoing and planned US investments.
Market prospects and strategic direction
Choi Joon-Yong, head of HBM business planning at SK Hynix, said: “AI promotion from the end user is largely, very firm and strong … each customer has different flavors.”
“We are sure to deliver, to make the right competitive product for customers,” he added.
He also suggested capital costs from major cloud service providers such as Amazon, Microsoft and Google could be revised upwards.
CHOI believes that the relationship between AI infrastructure enlargement and HBM demand is direct, although energy availability was taken into account in the forecasts.
In a speech with the Pakinomist, the company expects the custom HBM sector to reach tens of thousands of billions of dollars by 2030, driven by performance requirements for advanced AI applications.
This specialized DRAM technology, first introduced in 2013, stacks chips vertically to reduce power consumption and physical footprint while improving data processing efficiency.
SK Hynix and competitors, including Samsung and Micron Technology, develop HBM4 products that integrate a “base die” into memory control, making it harder to replace rival products.
Currently, larger customers like Nvidia receive highly customized solutions, while smaller customers often depend on standardized designs.
The company’s position as Nvidia’s primary HBM supplier emphasizes its influence in the AI hardware area.
However, Samsung recently warned that HBM3E production in the short term could exceed the growth of market demand and potentially push prices.
Despite the ongoing customs discussions, SK Hynix’s Market Service remains stable.
The company invests in US manufacturing capacity, including an advanced chip packaging system and an AI research facility in Indiana, which can help protect against trade disorders.
South Korea’s chip exports to the United States were valued at $ 10.7 billion last year, with HBM shipments to Taiwan for having packaged rising sharply by 2024.
While SK Hynix’s optimism reflects the expected increase in AI infrastructure costs, market analysts point to the cyclical nature of the semiconductor industry, where over -divorcing and price pressure are recurring challenges.
The company’s ability to deliver competitive products in a market that is increasingly shaped by adaptation could determine its resilience.
