[News] SK Hynix Reportedly Expands HBM Production at Cheongju M15X Fab, Aiming for Late 2025 Completion

---

---

According to a report from Chosun Biz, SK hynix is expanding its HBM production capacity at the Cheongju M15X fab to address ongoing market supply shortages, with AI demand expected to continue outpacing HBM supply in 2025. To support this expansion, the company plans to transfer some of its DRAM workforce from its Icheon headquarters to the Cheongju campus, where the M15X fab is currently under construction.

Deployment of Key Personnel for M15X Setup

The Chosun Biz report, citing industry sources on the 15th, states that SK hynix will soon reassign a select group of DRAM specialists from its Icheon campus to the Cheongju campus. These personnel will be responsible for infrastructure setup and equipment installation required to make the M15X fab operational.

The M15X fab, an expansion of the existing M15 facility, represents an investment of over KRW 20 trillion (approximately USD 14.6 billion). Scheduled for completion in November 2025, it will primarily focus on HBM production, according to the report.

Expansion of HBM Production in Cheongju

Another report from Yonhap News Agency highlights that SK hynix’s Cheongju campus, which currently houses the M11, M12, and M15 fabs, mainly serves as a NAND flash production base. In contrast, its Icheon campus functions as a DRAM production hub. The decision to expand HBM production in Cheongju, including the development of the M15X fab, is seen as a strategic response to rising HBM demand.

The Yonhap News Agency report also reveals that TSV (Through-Silicon Via) equipment—critical for advanced HBM packaging—has already been installed at the existing M15 fab.

Persistent HBM Supply Shortage

According to Chosun Biz, the industry predicts that the gap between HBM supply and demand will persist, as orders from HBM clients are surging, and SK hynix has already sold out its HBM production capacity for 2025.

Last month, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won stated during the SK AI Summit 2024 that NVIDIA increases its HBM demand with each new GPU launch and frequently requests accelerated delivery schedules. He also revealed that NVIDIA recently asked SK Hynix to expedite the supply of HBM4 by six months, as noted in the report.

SK hynix’s Strategic Focus on HBM

In March, SK hynix became the first company in the industry to deliver 8-layer HBM3E to NVIDIA, a key client in the AI sector. In September 2024, the company began mass production of 12-layer HBM3E products, with shipments targeted for this quarter. It has also been developing 48GB 16-high HBM3E, according to the company’s press release.

Read more

• [News] NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang Reportedly Asked SK hynix to Expedite HBM4 Supply by 6 Months
• [News] SK Hynix’s HBM4 to Use TSMC’s 3nm Base Die

(Photo credit: SK hynix)