SK Hynix holds 62% HBM share

SK Hynix held 62% of the global high-bandwidth memory market in the second quarter of 2025, according to data cited by Chosun Biz and repeated in reports published on May 17. The same figures put Micron in second place with 21% and Samsung Electronics in third with 17%. The ranking captures a period when Samsung was still struggling to win qualification for some HBM products from Nvidia, the dominant buyer in the AI accelerator supply chain. High-bandwidth memory, or HBM, is the premium DRAM stacked close to AI processors to move data faster and with lower power use than conventional memory. Nvidia’s AI systems have made HBM one of the tightest parts of the semiconductor supply chain, and suppliers that clear its validation process can lock in large volumes. SK Hynix has been Nvidia’s main HBM supplier, while Micron gained ground and Samsung spent much of 2025 trying to close the gap. (astutegroup.com) ### Why did SK Hynix open such a large lead? Samsung’s qualification delays with Nvidia are a central part of the answer. Reports in September 2025 said Samsung finally cleared Nvidia’s qualification tests for 12-layer HBM3E chips after repeated setbacks tied to performance and thermal requirements, meaning the company spent much of the earlier period outside the strongest part of the AI-memory demand wave. (investing.com) SK Hynix, by contrast, had already moved earlier on 12-layer HBM3E. TrendForce said SK Hynix announced mass production of 12-layer HBM3E in September 2024, giving it a head start in supplying the parts used in advanced AI systems. Reuters also reported in October 2025 that SK Hynix had sold out its chip production for the following year and planned to raise investment on expectations of a prolonged AI-driven upcycle. (rcrwireless.com) ### How big is Micron’s gain in this market? Micron’s 21% share put it ahead of Samsung’s 17% in the cited second-quarter 2025 ranking. That matters because Samsung has historically been the dominant memory company overall, but HBM has become a separate contest shaped by packaging, yields and customer qualification rather than scale alone. (trendforce.com) Counterpoint Research analysts, as cited by Astute Group, said Samsung’s position could improve as HBM3E products are qualified by major customers and HBM4 enters volume supply in 2026. That is an analyst view, not a company forecast, but it shows how the market was already looking beyond the 2025 snapshot toward the next product cycle. (astutegroup.com) ### Where does Samsung stand now? Samsung said on April 30 that its first-quarter 2026 revenue reached 133.9 trillion won and operating profit was 57.2 trillion won, both quarterly records. In its outlook, the company said server memory demand should remain strong in the second half of 2026 as hyperscalers expand AI and large-language-model services, and that its memory business aims to expand its share of higher-value AI products. (astutegroup.com) Those results show Samsung is benefiting from the memory rebound even after losing ground in HBM share during the 2025 quarter cited in the reports. The company’s challenge is narrower: converting broader memory strength into a larger position in the HBM segment that is most exposed to AI accelerators. That reading is an inference from Samsung’s results and the reported HBM market-share data. (news.samsung.com) ### How does the labor dispute fit into the picture? More than 45,000 Samsung workers are threatening an 18-day strike starting May 21, Reuters reported on May 15, after a dispute over bonus payouts tied to the chip division’s AI-led recovery. Reuters said the action could reduce production of memory chips used in AI data centers, smartphones and laptops if no compromise is reached. (news.samsung.com) Fortune and other pickup reports tied that labor dispute to the same competitive backdrop in HBM. Yahoo Finance’s repost of the Fortune article said union chairman Choi Seung-ho said about 200 Samsung employees had left for SK Hynix over the previous four months. ### What should readers watch next? (money.usnews.com) May 21 is the next concrete date. Reuters reported that Samsung workers were threatening to begin the strike that day, making the immediate question whether management and the union reach a deal before the walkout starts. (finance.yahoo.com) The next industry milestone is HBM4 supply in 2026. Analysts cited by Astute Group said Samsung’s share could recover as HBM4 enters full-scale supply and as more of its HBM products win customer qualification. (astutegroup.com) (money.usnews.com)