SK hynix's 12-layer high-bandwidth memory 4 sample chips / Courtesy of SK hynix

SK hynix said Wednesday it shipped the samples of the next-generation high-bandwidth memory 4 (HBM4) chip to clients for the first time in the world, cementing its position as the leading supplier of the memory chip specific to artificial intelligence (AI).

According to the chipmaker, it recently provided samples of its 12-layer HBM4 to major clients for qualification tests. HBM4 is the sixth generation of HBM, which plays a critical role in accelerating processes for graphics processing units (GPUs) and other AI accelerator chips.

The company said it shipped HBM4 samples earlier than its initial plan and will begin the qualification process soon with its clients, aiming to complete preparations for mass production within the second half of this year.

The company was initially set to begin mass-producing HBM4 in 2026 but apparently expedited the plan due to clients' demands. In November, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won said that Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang had asked to move up the supply timeline for HBM4 by six months.

SK hynix said the sample chip delivers world-class speeds essential for AI memory and achieves a bandwidth capable of processing more than 2 terabytes of data per second, a level equivalent to processing over 400 full-HD movies in just one second. This is over a 60 percent speed increase compared to the previous fifth-generation HBM3e chips.

The sample also offers the highest capacity among comparable 12-layer memory products, based on SK hynix's advanced mass reflow-molded underfill process. The company said this process effectively controls chip warping and improves heat dissipation, enhancing product stability.

By providing HBM4 samples to clients, SK hynix is expected to consolidate its leadership in the global HBM market.

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, right, listens to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang at Nvidia's headquarters in Silicon Valley in this photo uploaded on Chey's Instagram page, April 24. Captured from Chey's Instagram page

SK hynix became the first in the chip industry to mass-produce fourth-generation HBM3 in 2022 and continued with 8-layer and 12-layer HBM3e in 2024. Buoyed by this timely supply, SK hynix is now the main HBM supplier for Nvidia GPUs and the most profitable memory chipmaker in Korea, surpassing rival Samsung Electronics in profit last year.

“We have been pushing technological boundaries to meet customer demands and established ourselves as a leader in the AI ecosystem,“ SK hynix President of AI Infra Kim Ju-seon said. “Leveraging our extensive experience as the industry's largest HBM supplier, we will ensure smooth progress in qualification and preparations for mass production.”