SK Hynix Speeds Up M15X Fab for HBM Demand

According to South Korean media outlet TheElec, SK Hynix is expediting the installation of equipment at its new M15X wafer fabrication facility, advancing the timeline by two months due to a surge in orders for high-bandwidth memory (HBM), particularly from Broadcom.

In response to increasing demand, SK Hynix is also considering expanding the M15X fab's production capacity beyond the originally planned 32,000 wafers per month. A final capacity target is expected to be determined next month, with sources indicating that production could nearly double.

Initially scheduled for December, the equipment installation at the Cheongju-based M15X fab has been pushed forward to October. This facility is expected to manufacture 1b DRAM, which serves as the core chip for SK Hynix's HBM3E. The company has already been ramping up 1b DRAM production at existing fabs, aiming to reach a monthly output of 178,000 wafers by the end of this year.

Once M15X begins operations at the end of 2026, SK Hynix plans to achieve a production capacity of 240,000 wafers per month. The accelerated timeline is primarily driven by substantial orders from Broadcom, with SK Hynix set to commence HBM production for the company in the third quarter. By year-end, Broadcom is projected to account for 30% of SK Hynix's total HBM production capacity.

In a previous announcement, SK Hynix committed a 20 trillion KRW investment in the M15X project. Additionally, on March 19, the company confirmed that it has provided customers with HBM4 12H samples. The HBM4 memory, featuring a 36GB capacity, supports a data transfer rate of 2TB per second and is manufactured using SK Hynix's advanced large-scale reflow molding underfill (R-CUF) technology.