SK hynix HBM4 Yield Reportedly Exceeds 70%

According to South Korean media outlet Chosunbiz, citing semiconductor industry sources, SK hynix's HBM4 yield has recently surpassed 70%. However, SK hynix has not yet officially disclosed specific yield figures.

Unlike standard DRAM, HBM requires multiple process steps, from single-chip manufacturing to stacking, packaging, and final testing. If defects occur during this process, losses may be incurred, including costs invested in earlier stages. This structure determines that the lower the yield, the more production resources must be invested to obtain the same number of qualified products, resulting in higher manufacturing costs. Under the same calculation standard, an increase in yield from 60% to 70% means that with the same production input, the output of qualified products increases by approximately 16.7%.

Samsung Electronics and Micron Technology are also accelerating their HBM4 market deployment. According to industry observers, Samsung Electronics' HBM4 chip yield had risen to around 80% by September last year. However, because yield calculation standards and measurement timing may differ among companies, it is difficult to determine which company's production capacity is more competitive based solely on public data. In addition, HBM yield calculation standards vary depending on the manufacturing process stage, so comparing these figures should be careful.

Industry insiders believe that the initial mass-production yield and stable supply capability of HBM4 are key factors determining future market share. Improving HBM4 yield is directly related to competitiveness in supplying major AI semiconductor customers, including NVIDIA. As AI accelerator performance improves and demand grows for memory bandwidth and energy efficiency, the ability to ensure stable supply while meeting customer performance and quality requirements is regarded as a key competitive advantage.