South Korean memory giant SK hynix announced on July 26th that it has decided to invest about 9.4 trillion won (approximately USD 6.8 billion) in building the first fab and business facilities of the Yongin Semiconductor Cluster after the board resolution today, according to its press release.

The company plans to start the construction of the fab in March next year and complete it in May 2027, while the investment period was planned to start from August 2024 to the end of 2028, SK hynix states.

The company will produce next-generation DRAMs, including HBM, at the 1st fab prepare for production of other products in line with market demand at the time of completion.

“The Yongin Cluster will be the foundation for SK hynix’s mid- to long-term growth and a place for innovation and co-prosperity that we are creating with our partners,” said Vice President Kim Young-sik, Head of Manufacturing Technology at SK hynix. “We want to contribute to revitalizing the national economy by successfully completing the large-scale industrial complex and dramatically enhancing Korea’s semiconductor technology and ecosystem competitiveness,” according to the press release.

The Yongin Cluster, which will be built on a 4.15 million square meter site in Wonsam-myeon, Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, is currently under site preparation and infrastructure construction. SK hynix has decided to build four state-of-the-art fabs that will produce next-generation semiconductors, and a semiconductor cooperation complex with more than 50 small local companies.

After the construction of the 1st fab, the company aims to complete the remaining three fabs sequentially to grow the Yongin Cluster into a “Global AI semiconductor production base,” the press release notes.

The 9.4 trillion investment approved this time included various construction costs necessary for the initial operation of the cluster, including auxiliary facilities1, business support buildings, and welfare facilities along with the 1st fab.

In addition, SK hynix plans to build a “Mini-fab2” within the first phase to help small businesses develop, demonstrate and evaluate technologies. Through the Mini-fab, the company will provide small business partners with an environment similar to the actual production site so that they can improve the technological perfection as much as possible.

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(Photo credit: SK hynix)

Chul Joo Hwang, Chairman of South Korean semiconductor equipment company Jusung Engineering, recently stated that future semiconductors will stack transistors together, as the expansion of DRAM and logic chips has reached its limit. Stacking transistors like NAND is necessary to overcome these challenges.

According to a report from South Korean media outlet The Elec, Hwang believes this means developing more atomic layer deposition (ALD) technology to reduce the use of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography steps in the production process of advanced chips.

ALD technology is a thin film process that allows materials to grow layer by layer, offering high uniformity, precise thickness control, and excellent step coverage, overcoming challenges faced by traditional process technologies.

Reportedly, stacking transistors can reduce the need for further scaling of transistors. As evidence, deep ultraviolet (DUV) equipment is expected to be used in 3D DRAM production.

Hwang believes that as stacking becomes increasingly important, the demand for ALD equipment will also rise. Additionally, the production of III-V semiconductors and IGZO semiconductors requires ALD equipment.

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(Photo credit: Jusung Engineering)

According to a report by the South Korean news outlet The Chosun Daily, Samsung Electronics’ memory business has managed to endure the market downturn from last year. Recently, its strategy of reducing production has finally paid off, driving up chip prices.

Reports suggest that in the first quarter of this year, Samsung plans to raise NAND Flash chip prices by up to 20%, aiming to restore profitability to its memory chip business.

The report quotes a semiconductor industry source as saying, “The first-quarter price negotiations between major memory manufacturers such as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix and their customers have not yet been concluded. However, customers are rushing to secure supplies as the price of NAND flash has been steadily increasing, and fears spread that NAND flash cuts will continue this year.”

As per the report citing sources, Samsung Electronics will renegotiate prices with major mobile, PC, and server customers in March and April this year. It is expected to push for a price increase of 15 to 20%.

As per a report from Commercial Times, the global economic downturn last year led to an oversupply of memory and a sharp decline in prices, resulting in severe losses for Samsung and SK Hynix’s memory businesses. Samsung’s memory division experienced its first-ever losses last year, dragging down the company’s overall profits to a new low.

Samsung, Micron, and SK Hynix, the three major players in the memory industry, began significant production cuts in the second half of last year, finally causing DRAM chip prices to rebound. However, the NAND Flash chip market is crowded with many manufacturers, including not only the three major players but also Japanese Kioxia and American Western Digital, leading to less significant effects from the production cuts.

Last year, Samsung’s NAND Flash chip business incurred operating losses of KRW 11 trillion (approximately USD 8.3 billion), while SK Hynix’s NAND Flash chip business also faced operating losses of 8 trillion Korean won. Since the second half of last year, the aforementioned companies have halved their production capacities, finally pushing NAND Flash prices up.

Per TrendForce’s data, NAND flash prices have increased for five consecutive months. TrendForce research previously indicated that despite facing a traditional low-demand season, buyers are continuing to increase their purchases of NAND Flash products to establish safe inventory levels. In response, suppliers, aiming to minimize losses are pushing for higher prices, leading to an estimated 15–20% increase in NAND Flash contract prices in 1Q24.

Currently, the NAND Flash market is still dominated by the five major manufacturers, with Samsung and SK Hynix accounting for the lion’s share.

Samsung still firmly held the top position in the NAND Flash market, with its market share increasing from 31.4% in the previous quarter to 36.6%; next was SK Group, with its market share increasing from 20.2% in the previous quarter to 21.6%.

Following them were Western Digital, whose market share decreased from 16.9% in the previous quarter to 14.5%, Kioxia, whose market share decreased from 14.5% in the previous quarter to 12.6%, and Micron, whose market share decreased from 12.5% in the previous quarter to 9.9%.

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(Photo credit: Samsung)

Micron, the American memory giant, is gearing up to initiate the production of state-of-the-art “1γ” DRAM at its Hiroshima fab in Japan, starting in 2025. Concurrently, there are plans to manufacture High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM) at the same fab, tailored for the rising demand for generative AI applications.

According to a report from Nikkei Asia on December 13th, Joshua Lee, VP at Micron Memory Japan, made this announcement during the event SEMICON Japan 2023. Lee highlighted that the Hiroshima fab is slated to manufacture DRAM with the most advanced “1γ” process by 2025. He also pointed out that Micron is also going to be the first semiconductor company to introduce Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment to Japan.

In addition to this, Lee shared insights into Micron’s intentions to produce HBM at the Hiroshima fab, which is widely applied for generative AI applications. He stated that Japan’s strong semiconductor ecosystem will be a key driving force behind Micron’s progress. Furthermore, he emphasized that collaboration is pivotal for Japan to establish itself as a global leader in the semiconductor supply chain.

Earlier In October, the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) of Japan announced a substantial subsidy of JPY 192 billion for Micron’s Hiroshima fab. Micron has recently declared a comprehensive investment plan of JPY 500 billion in Japan over the next few years, encompassing the Hiroshima fab.

Micron has been actively developing its DRAM manufacturing operations in Japan and Taiwan. Donghui Lu, Corporate VP of Micron Taiwan, revealed in a September interview with the UDN News that approximately 65% of Micron’s DRAM output originates from Taiwan. Regarding the migration to the 1β process, mass production began at Micron Japan last year, and Micron Taiwan has also commenced mass production this year. As for the more advanced 1γ process, production is expected to take place in both Taiwan and Japan by 2025.

TrendForce’s analysis has also revealed that Micron is leveraging its 1β nm technology to produce HBM3e in a bid to gain a competitive edge over Korean suppliers. Its front-end manufacturing is strategically positioned in Japan, aligning with expansion plans for 1β nm capacity.

Additionally, Micron has established a backend factory in Taiwan to meet surging HBM demands driven by the AI era. TrendForce anticipates that HBM products will substantially boost the revenue of DRAM suppliers in 2024.

(Image: Micron)

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