Samsung Electronics is set to start mass production and shipment of its sixth-generation HBM4 memory chips later this month, with shipments potentially beginning as early as next week after the Lunar New Year holiday.
The chips are specifically designed to target Nvidia graphics processing units and will support Nvidia’s Vera Rubin AI accelerator platform, which is slated for launch in the second half of 2026. HBM4 chips boast impressive data-processing speeds of up to 11.7 gigabits per second, exceeding the JEDEC standard of 8 Gbps by 37 percent and surpassing the previous HBM3E generation by 22 percent. Furthermore, memory bandwidth per stack reaches up to 3 terabytes per second, approximately 2.4 times higher than HBM3E.
Samsung employs a vertically integrated manufacturing process, producing the base logic die with its internal 4-nanometer foundry and pairing it with 1c DRAM, its 10-nanometer-class sixth-generation memory technology. Industry sources highlight Samsung’s advantages, with one source telling the Korea JoongAng Daily, “Samsung, which has the world’s largest production capacity and the broadest product lineup, has demonstrated a recovery in its technological competitiveness by becoming the first to mass‑produce the highest‑performing HBM4.”
This development positions Samsung ahead of its rival SK Hynix, which has delayed its HBM4 mass production from February to March or April 2026. SK Hynix plans to rely on HBM3E as its main product through at least the first half of 2026, influenced by changes in Nvidia’s product strategy. In contrast, Samsung has completed Nvidia’s quality certification process and secured purchase orders, with its production schedule aligning with Nvidia’s Vera Rubin timeline. Notably, Samsung’s HBM4 chips earned the highest scores in Nvidia tests for operating speed and power efficiency.
To address the rising demand for AI memory, Samsung aims to boost its HBM production capacity by 50 percent by the end of 2026. The company targets 250,000 wafers per month, up from the current 170,000. A new DRAM production line at Pyeongtaek Plant 4 will add 100,000 to 120,000 wafers monthly, increasing overall DRAM production capability by 18 percent.
