A survey has revealed that South Korean companies produce 8 out of 10 high-bandwidth memory (HBM) units worldwide. It is anticipated that South Korea's market dominance will be further solidified with the launch of the sixth-generation HBM, HBM4, by the end of this year.

According to market research firm Counterpoint Research on the 24th, the HBM market share in the second quarter of this year (April to June) was led by SK Hynix with 62%, followed by Micron with 21%, and Samsung Electronics with 17%. The combined market share of SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics was estimated at 79%. SK Hynix, the market leader, announced on the 12th of this month that it has completed the development and established a mass production system for HBM4, preparing to actively engage in the competition for leadership in the next-generation HBM market.

Although Samsung Electronics recorded a lower than expected market share in the second quarter, Counterpoint Research predicts that its HBM market share will exceed 30% next year. This is because the company has recently passed NVIDIA's quality test with its fifth-generation HBM, the HBM3E 12-layer product, and has begun deliveries, while also developing and preparing for mass production of HBM4.

Chinese companies, fiercely pursuing the HBM market, have not yet matched the technological capabilities of South Korean firms. Jeonggu Choi, a senior researcher at Counterpoint Research, analyzed, "China, led by ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT), is pushing for the development of HBM3, but has not yet resolved technical issues such as operating speed and heat generation. As a result, product shipments, initially expected this year, are likely to be possible only in the second half of next year (July to December)." Huawei's self-developed HBM 'HiBL 1.0' is also considered an early-stage product with speeds less than half of typical HBM products.

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