SK Hynix CEO Kwak Noh-jung is expected to meet Scott Guthrie, executive vice president of Cloud and AI at Microsoft, in Seoul this week to discuss memory supply, according to Maeil Business Newspaper, citing industry sources.
The meeting is scheduled to take place at Microsoft's AI Tour Seoul on March 26, where discussions are expected to focus on high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and DRAM supply for Microsoft's data centers. SK Hynix supplies HBM3E for Microsoft's internally developed AI accelerator, Maia 200, according to the report.
HBM demand rises with custom AI chips
Demand for HBM is increasing as development of customized AI semiconductors expands, the report said. Companies such as Google and Amazon Web Services (AWS) already use HBM in proprietary AI chips, while demand from Microsoft and OpenAI is expected to grow.
SK Hynix also supplies HBM to Google and AWS. SK Group is building a data center in Ulsan in collaboration with AWS, according to the report.
Separately, SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won met Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella during a trip to the US last month, underscoring ongoing cooperation between the two companies.
EUV investment expands advanced DRAM capacity
Separately, SK Hynix said it will invest approximately KRW11.95 trillion (approx. US$8.2 billion) to acquire extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment from ASML, according to a regulatory filing on March 24.
The investment represents 9.97% of the company's total assets as of the end of 2024. The procurement will take place over about two years through December 2027 and includes equipment acquisition as well as installation and modification costs.
SK Hynix did not disclose the number of EUV systems to be purchased. Based on estimated unit pricing, industry observers expect more than 20 systems could be included, potentially doubling the company's existing EUV capacity.
The equipment is expected to be deployed at the M15X plant in Cheongju and at the first fab (Y1) of the Yongin semiconductor cluster, which is scheduled to begin operations next year.
Process transition and capacity ramp
The expanded EUV deployment is expected to accelerate SK Hynix's transition to its sixth-generation (1c) process. The company plans to apply the 1c node to next-generation products, including HBM, DDR5, and LPDDR6.
SK Hynix has already developed 1c-based DDR5 DRAM and LPDDR6 products, improving productivity, power efficiency, and data processing speeds, according to the report.
The company is also moving to maximize output at its M15X facility this year and has advanced the operation of its second-phase cleanroom by two months to expand production capacity.
Equipment demand rises amid global fab expansion
The large-scale investment comes as demand for EUV equipment increases globally. ASML said in January that its order backlog stood at EUR38.8 billion (US$42 billion) at the end of 2025.
An industry source said demand for EUV systems is rising significantly worldwide, with fab construction in Taiwan, the US, and Japan extending equipment lead times.
SK Hynix said the investment aims to respond to rising demand for AI memory, including HBM, as well as broader demand for commodity DRAM in server and mobile applications, and to stabilize supply through capacity expansion.
Article edited by Jack Wu
