The development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology is rapidly changing the global industrial landscape, with high-performance semiconductors, especially memory semiconductors, at the center. As a core player in this AI era, SK hynix is solidifying its global market leadership by accelerating the development of High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) and next-generation NAND storage technologies. Recent announcements of SK hynix's innovative investments and technology development trends are becoming important indicators for a glimpse into the future of the AI era.
SK hynix is a leader in the High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) market, particularly holding a dominant position in the HBM3 sector. Recently, they successfully completed the development of HBM4, the 6th generation of HBM, and plan to begin sample shipments in the fourth quarter of 2025, followed by full-scale sales expansion in 2026. HBM4 boasts a bandwidth twice as high as the previous generation and power efficiency improved by more than 40%, realizing a data transfer speed exceeding 10Gbps, which can boost AI service performance by up to 69%. This technology will also be supplied to NVIDIA's next-generation AI chip, 'Rubin.' SK hynix recorded a 64% market share in the global HBM market as of the second quarter of 2025, solidifying its leading position in the AI accelerator market.
SK hynix is leading storage innovation by introducing AI-optimized solutions not only in DRAM but also in the NAND flash field. At the '2025 OCP (Open Compute Project) Global Summit' held in San Jose, California, USA in October 2025, SK hynix unveiled the 'AIN (AI-NAND) Family,' a next-generation NAND storage product strategy. The AIN family consists of NAND solutions optimized for performance, bandwidth, and density.
HBF (High Bandwidth Flash) is a core technology that SK hynix has been researching for a long time to solve the lack of memory capacity due to the expansion of AI inference and the enlargement of ultra-large language models (LLMs). It is characterized by combining large-capacity, low-cost NAND with the HBM stacking structure and is being considered for various applications, such as complementing capacity issues by being placed together with HBM. SK hynix signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with SanDisk in August for HBF standardization and is actively engaged in industry collaboration by hosting 'HBF Night' during the OCP Global Summit.
SK hynix is also focusing on bold investments and enhancing production capacity to respond to the AI era. In the third quarter of 2025, they achieved record-breaking performance, surpassing 10 trillion won in quarterly operating profit for the first time since its establishment, with 24.4489 trillion won in sales and 11.3834 trillion won in operating profit. This was driven by the expansion of sales of high-value-added product groups such as HBM3E 12-layer and server-oriented DDR5, as well as the increase in the proportion of AI server-oriented enterprise SSDs (eSSDs). To meet the rapidly increasing demand for AI memory, SK hynix is accelerating the construction of a new production line, M15X fab, in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, and plans to open the cleanroom early and begin equipment installation by the end of 2025. The M15X fab, with an investment of about 2 trillion won or more, will increase DRAM and HBM production capacity by 20-30%, actively responding to AI demand.
SK hynix is paying attention to the move to distribute the computational burden of AI servers to various infrastructures, such as general servers, as the AI market rapidly transitions to inference-centric. As a result, it is expected that demand will expand across memory, including high-performance DDR5 and eSSDs, and proactive measures are being taken, such as completing negotiations with major customers for HBM supply in 2026. In addition, it plans to expand the supply by equipping a full lineup of DRAM products, including server, mobile, and graphics, by accelerating the transition to the state-of-the-art 10-nanometer class 6th generation (1c) process. In the NAND field, it plans to increase the supply of the world's highest-layered 321-layer-based TLC and QLC products to quickly respond to customer needs. Experts are making optimistic forecasts that SK hynix's operating profit will exceed 50 trillion won in 2026.
SK hynix is solidifying its position as a leader in the AI memory market through the innovative technology development and proactive investments of HBM4 and the AIN family. SK hynix's efforts to overcome the limitations of memory semiconductor technology in line with the evolution of AI technology will continue to be an important milestone in the global semiconductor market. These continuous innovations and bold investments are expected to be the driving force for SK hynix to achieve sustained growth as a core player in the AI era.
SK hynix's HBM4 is a 6th generation high bandwidth memory, offering twice the bandwidth and more than 40% improved power efficiency compared to the previous generation. It achieves a data transfer speed exceeding 10 Gbps and significantly contributes to the improvement of AI service performance.
The AIN family is a next-generation NAND storage product family optimized for the artificial intelligence environment and consists of solutions specialized in terms of performance (AIN P), bandwidth (AIN B), and capacity (AIN D).
HBF (High Bandwidth Flash) technology was developed to solve the lack of memory capacity due to the expansion of AI inference and the enlargement of ultra-large language models (LLMs). By stacking NAND like HBM, it expands bandwidth, helping to efficiently process large amounts of data.
SK hynix is accelerating the construction of a new production line, M15X fab, in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, to meet the rapidly increasing demand for AI memory. It plans to invest more than 2 trillion won in this fab, increasing DRAM and HBM production capacity by 20-30%.
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