Samsung Electronics finally passed Nvidia’s rigorous quality standards for its 12-layer HBM3E memory chips, according to multiple Korean media reports, ending an 18-month struggle that had cost the company significant market share in the booming artificial intelligence memory sector.
The breakthrough positions Samsung as the third qualified supplier to Nvidia, trailing SK Hynix and Micron Technology. Samsung’s HBM shipment share plummeted to 17% in the second quarter from 41% a year earlier, highlighting how the company’s inability to meet Nvidia’s demanding specifications undermined its position in the fastest-growing segment of the memory market.
Industry officials credited Vice Chairman Jun Young-hyun, who heads Samsung’s chip division, with personally pushing for a redesign of the DRAM core earlier this year to address thermal performance issues that had prevented qualification approval.
The validation carries more symbolic weight than immediate financial impact. Supply volumes are expected to be relatively small, but the approval could prove crucial for Samsung’s prospects in next-generation HBM4 memory, which will power Nvidia’s upcoming Rubin graphics processing architecture.
Samsung shares surged more than 5% on the news, reaching their highest level since August 2024. The memory giant had already secured deals with AMD and Broadcom for its HBM3E products, but Nvidia’s endorsement remained elusive until now.
SK Hynix continues to dominate the HBM market with approximately 62% share, while the overall sector has become essential for AI computing systems.
