Samsung Electronics Co. is pushing ahead with shipments of its latest high-bandwidth memory chips despite facing headwinds from US export restrictions on advanced semiconductors.
The world’s largest memory chipmaker plans to begin supplying its enhanced fifth-generation HBM3E chips to major customers by March, even as it grapples with temporary sales constraints in the first quarter due to US controls. The company aims to double its total HBM bit supply in 2025 compared to last year.
Samsung saw HBM sales jump 90% in the fourth quarter from the previous three months, though falling short of initial targets. The company cited geopolitical issues and preparation for the enhanced product lineup as factors affecting performance.
The Korean tech giant is betting on increased demand for its 12-layer chips over 8-layer versions starting in the second quarter. While Samsung has produced 16-layer samples for testing, customers haven’t shown interest in commercializing them yet.
The company is also developing sixth-generation HBM4 memory using its 1c nanometer process, targeting mass production in the latter half of 2024. To optimize its product mix, Samsung plans to slash sales of older DDR4 and LPDDR4 chips to less than 10% this year from over 30%.
