Samsung to start HBM4 mass production next week, sources say

Samsung Electronics plans to begin mass production of its sixth-generation high-bandwidth memory, HBM4, later this month, according to industry sources.

Samsung, which has the largest production capacity globally, has reportedly passed Nvidia’s quality certification and secured purchase orders.

The HBM4 chips are expected to be adopted in Nvidia’s upcoming AI accelerator, Vera Rubin.

Samsung’s increased supply of HBM4 samples for testing indicates progress in its production schedule, aligned with Nvidia’s product launch plans.

🔗 Source: Yonhap

🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

Nvidia’s Rubin platform suggests some HBM4 shipment claims may be early

HBM4 shipments tied to Nvidia’s Vera Rubin platform may still be months away. Samsung is expected to be among the first HBM4 suppliers, while Nvidia’s Rubin customer deliveries reportedly start in August 2026 1.
Samsung’s qualification matters. SK hynix reportedly has more than 70% of Nvidia’s initial HBM4 orders for the 2026 to 2027 cycle, which keeps it as Nvidia’s top HBM supplier 2.
HBM3 and HBM3E, both fifth-generation, still set the pace. They are expected to remain the standard through at least the first quarter of 2026. Reports say HBM3 and HBM3E nodes are sold out through late 2026 3.

HBM4’s design blurs the line between memory and processing

HBM4 moves to logic-based base dies (the bottom chip in a stacked-memory package that can handle control and data-routing functions) built on advanced manufacturing processes, often cited as around 4-nanometer or 5-nanometer in industry discussions. That makes the memory stack more logic-integrated, with more room for data-management work 4.
This shift changes who builds what. Samsung combines chip-manufacturing (foundry) and memory under one roof 1. SK hynix and Micron are often expected to rely on TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the world’s largest contract chipmaker) for logic base die production 1.
Demand remains high. SK hynix says it expects to sell out its HBM production capacity for 2026, which tightens supply across the chain 5.