🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

Customer-specific base dies create stronger vendor lock-in dynamics

• SK Hynix’s HBM4 introduces a fundamental shift toward customer-specific logic dies that help manage memory, making it “no longer possible to easily replace a rival’s memory product with a nearly identical chip”1.
• This architectural change represents a departure from the more commoditized nature of previous HBM generations, where products could be more easily substituted between suppliers.
• For SK Hynix, which currently holds 62% of the HBM market share compared to Samsung’s 17% and Micron’s 21%2, this customization approach could significantly strengthen their competitive position.
• The shift mirrors broader semiconductor industry trends where leading suppliers differentiate through closer customer integration rather than purely standardized products.

First-mover advantage in HBM4 could extend SK Hynix’s market dominance

• SK Hynix’s completion of internal HBM4 certification positions them ahead of competitors, with analysts projecting their HBM market share will remain “in the low 60% range in 2026” due to early supply advantages1.
• The company shipped HBM4 12-layer chip samples to customers in March and aims to complete mass production preparations within the second half of this year1.
• This timing advantage is particularly valuable given HBM4’s dramatic performance leap, offering over 2TB/s bandwidth compared to previous generations3, making it critical for next-generation AI training platforms.
• SK Hynix’s market leadership has already helped them surpass Samsung as the world’s biggest memory chip supplier for the first time4, and early HBM4 deployment could further consolidate this position in the growing AI memory market.