South Korea's Samsung chief inspects HBM lines amid AI race - upi.com

South Korea's Samsung CEO's inspection of HBM production lines highlights the intense competition in the semiconductor industry driven by artificial intelligence. As AI technology rapidly advances, de... Read original →

Samsung’s CEO inspecting HBM lines signals a tactical pivot in the AI compute arms race. Technically, HBM3E and upcoming HBM4 will force upgrades in TSV and hybrid bonding processes, spiking demand for advanced packaging tools, high-end substrates, and EDA flows. On compliance, tightening U.S.-South Korea export controls may inflate delivery costs to non-allied markets—especially as Samsung’s China revenue grows—making supply chain redundancy essential. With SK hynix leading HBM market share and Micron rapidly improving yields, Samsung must vertically integrate CoWoS-like packaging to reclaim influence. Within 18 months, HBM will shift from optional to mandatory for AI accelerators, accelerating the industry’s move toward ‘compute-centric memory.’ Capacity reservation deals and co-development partnerships will become key moats for top players.