SK Hynix to Begin World's First Mass Production of HBM4 in February 2026, Widening Tech Gap via TSMC Partnership

SK Hynix is launching the world's first mass production of the 6th-generation High Bandwidth Memory, HBM4, in February 2026 to solidify its dominance in the next-generation AI memory market. Through strategic collaboration with Taiwan's foundry leader TSMC, the company has achieved groundbreaking improvements in bandwidth and power efficiency, positioning it to outpace competitors Samsung Electronics and Micron by at least several months. This development is also expected to influence the development schedule of NVIDIA's next-generation chip 'Rubin', a key customer in the AI semiconductor market, further cementing SK Hynix's market leadership, according to industry analysis.

Industry and financial investment sources report that SK Hynix plans to begin full-scale mass production of HBM4 at its M16 plant in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, starting February next year. This is the earliest timeline among the three major memory semiconductor manufacturers. With Micron targeting the second quarter of 2026 and Samsung Electronics aiming for within the first half, SK Hynix is expected to enjoy a first-mover advantage of at least one to two quarters.

The core of SK Hynix's HBM4 performance enhancement lies in its collaboration with TSMC. The two companies have adopted TSMC's advanced 12-nanometer (nm) logic process for the HBM4's base die (the foundational chip). This is reported to double the bandwidth—a measure of data processing speed—compared to the existing HBM3E, while improving power efficiency by over 40%. This is expected to significantly alleviate power consumption and heat issues, which are central challenges for AI servers.

This technological superiority is forecast to translate directly into market share. The financial investment industry projects that SK Hynix's HBM market share will exceed 50% again next year, while Samsung Electronics will remain in the 30% range and Micron around 20%. HBM4 represents a turning point, evolving beyond simple performance improvements into more customized products for clients. Analysts note that capturing the early market could dictate the competitive landscape for years to come.

Company	Target Mass Production Start	Key Partner/Technology
SK Hynix	February 2026	TSMC (12nm logic process)
Micron	Q2 2026	-
Samsung Electronics	Within H1 2026	-

Relations with NVIDIA, the largest demand source in the AI chip market, are also unfolding favorably for SK Hynix. The company already provided HBM4 samples to NVIDIA in March of this year and completed its mass production system setup in September. The industry views it as highly likely that NVIDIA will align the development schedule for its next-gen AI chip 'Rubin', slated for release in the second half of next year, with the supply timeline of SK Hynix's HBM4, which will be the first to enter mass production. This indicates SK Hynix holds a firm advantage in terms of customer trust and supply contracts.

Production capacity expansion is also ramping up in earnest. SK Hynix's Cheongju M15X fab, which involved an investment of over 20 trillion won (~$13.6 billion), is scheduled to begin its first cleanroom operation in May next year, with full-scale mass production shipments starting from November. Furthermore, upon the completion of the first-phase fab at the Yongin Cluster in Gyeonggi Province in 2027, SK Hynix's monthly HBM production capacity is projected to expand to a total of 900,000 wafers. This level would overturn the current production capacity gap with Samsung Electronics, posing a significant variable in the competition between the two giants.

Positive earnings are also anticipated. Some securities firms forecast that SK Hynix's 2026 operating profit could reach as high as 93 trillion won (~$63.3 billion), suggesting the company will continue its record-breaking earnings streak since its founding. This is a combined result of rising Average Selling Prices (ASP) due to increased HBM demand and the first-mover effect.

A semiconductor industry official stated, "SK Hynix will solidify a solo lead system by capturing the early HBM4 market through its strong alliance with TSMC," adding, "Its overwhelming yield and technological gap will not allow competitors to catch up for the time being." This head start in HBM4 mass production is evaluated not merely as a timing advantage in product launch, but as a decisive move that puts SK Hynix one step ahead in the global competition for leadership in the memory semiconductor industry of the AI era.