Samsung Electronics Lifts HBM Revenue Share to 33% in Second Quarter

Samsung Electronics increased its share of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) revenue to 33% in the second quarter from 21% in the first, narrowing SK hynix’s lead in a market that supplies memory for AI processors. SK hynix remained the largest supplier, though its share fell to 50% from 58%. The figures are estimates.

Micron’s share declined to 18% from 21%. The reported shares sum to 100% in the first quarter and 101% in the second. The figures show a shift in revenue share among the leading HBM suppliers, but do not establish what caused it.

HBM is made by stacking DRAM dies and placing them beside processors such as graphics processing units. The memory supports fast data exchange for computing workloads, including AI. Heat can build up around the base die, which carries circuitry for communication with the processor. In a conventional stack, heat from that area must pass through the DRAM layers to reach the package’s cooling plate.

SK hynix’s iHBM design adds an integrated cooling element near the base die’s die-to-die physical layer, where those processor links are located. The element creates a separate route for heat to reach the cooling plate. The company’s earlier iHBM coverage described its supplier preparations and HBM5 plans.

SK hynix has positioned iHBM for HBM5 and other next-generation products serving high-performance computing and AI data centers. The design uses the company’s Advanced MR-MUF packaging process and is compatible with customers’ existing system-in-package designs. The company has not disclosed which customer or product would adopt iHBM first.