News
Amid uncertainty over Trump’s new tariffs, memory giants are charging ahead in the HBM3E race. According to South Korean outlets Sedaily and Sisa Journal, Samsung is targeting mass shipments of its 8-layer HBM3E to NVIDIA as early as April, while Micron cleared validation for its 12-layer version back in March.
While SK hynix has long dominated the HBM sector, Micron seems to be quickly catching up with its top-quality products. Sisa Journal suggests that Micron’s 12-layer HBM3E delivery has started, which powers NVIDIA’s B300.
The Sisa Journal report adds that Micron may have less overall DRAM capacity than SK hynix, but its higher share of cutting-edge 10nm-class 1b processes gives it a quality edge—especially in heat management, a key factor for HBM.
On the other hand, the Sedaily report notes that Samsung, after revamping its HBM3e product design, aims to begin mass supply of the 8-layer product this month. According to another report from South Korean media outlet EBN, if things go smoothly, Samsung may receive qualification of its HBM3E 12-layer product from NVIDIA as early as May.
HBM4 Progress on the Way
In terms of the next-gen HBM4, Sedaily indicates that Samsung aims to enter mass production within 2025. However, with its 10nm 1c DRAM process still in development, the target looks challenging, as noted by the report.
For Micron, a previous report from Business Korea noted that Micron expects its HBM4 to begin shipping in 2026, while most of the company’s HBM manufactured in 2H25 would be 12-layer products.
Read more
(Photo credit: Micron)
