Samsung says HBM4 chips hit high yields, shipping this month

Samsung Electronics reported that its upcoming HBM4 memory chips are showing promising manufacturing yields, according to CTO Song Jai-hyuk.

The company plans to begin mass production and shipping to major clients later this month.

The HBM4 chips utilize Samsung’s 1c process, combined with a 4-nanometer foundry process. The chips have achieved data processing speeds of up to 11.7 Gbps, surpassing the industry standard of 8 Gbps.

Song said that the current yield is “very good” and that customer feedback on performance has been positive and its integrated approach across memory, foundry, and packaging to support artificial intelligence products.

🔗 Source: The Korea Times

🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

Samsung’s HBM4 ties a technical step forward to a business reset

Samsung says early customers like its upcoming HBM4 and it expects strong manufacturing yields. The push comes after HBM3E stumbled when early NVIDIA tests failed over overheating 1.
That track record still shapes ordering plans. NVIDIA’s provisional HBM4 volume split gives Samsung a mid-20% share, while SK hynix sits in the mid-50% range 2.
Samsung may be pricing HBM4 as a “loss leader” (a product sold at low or even negative margins to win business later). It is leaning on its 1c DRAM process and 4-nanometer foundry process to rebuild “technology trust,” even if margins take a hit in the near term 3.

The AI memory rush could raise prices outside the data center

HBM4 headlines connect to a broader change that can reach consumer and enterprise buyers.
To keep up with AI demand, chipmakers are shifting capacity away from standard DRAM. That move can tighten supply across the rest of the memory market 3.
Prices already moved fast. The list price of 64GB DDR5 RDIMM (Registered Dual In-line Memory Module) server modules climbed from about $265 in Q3 to $450 in Q4, around a 70% jump in one quarter 3.
Supply is also concentrating among a small set of vendors. Micron is reportedly having trouble supplying HBM4 to NVIDIA, and some reports say its share could drop sharply, possibly to zero, which would push more volume to Samsung and SK hynix 3.