Macronix International, a Taiwan-based manufacturer of mask ROM and flash memory, is strengthening its competitive product portfolio while anticipating its in-house developed 3D NOR chips to bolster operations starting in 2026.
AUO has agreed to sell the Taichung facilities of its subsidiary, AUO Crystal, to Micron Technology. This is the second time the panel maker has sold assets to the memory vendor.
ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) has accelerated its next-generation DRAM development, transitioning from 17nm to 16nm process technology for its first DDR5 product, according to TechInsights. The company is also advancing 15nm DRAM, with plans to complete R&D by 2025 and begin mass production in late 2026.
Samsung Electronics' foundry unit is set to ramp up production, lifting shutdown measures on its manufacturing equipment and targeting full operational capacity at its Pyeongtaek facility by June 2025, according to industry sources.
Samsung Electronics plans to convert part of its 3D NAND production at its Xi'an plant in China to the company's most advanced 286-layer stacked products.
The PC market is expected to show weak performance in the second half of 2024, but the industry remains optimistic about replacement demand in 2025. The introduction of PCIe Gen5 in high-end models is set to begin in Q2 2025, with a projected penetration rate of 5% for the year. Growth will further accelerate in 2026, with the overall penetration rate reaching 20-30%.
Micron Technology has launched the bidding process to secure a construction partner for the second phase of its ATMP project, as the first phase of its Indian ATMP facility faces delays, challenging India's goal of timely producing its first domestically manufactured chip.
Major South Korean companies saw their revenue from the North American market increase by around 20% in 2024, with high-bandwidth memory (HBM) market leader SK Hynix seeing the largest growth. However, potential new tariffs under consideration by US President Donald Trump, including a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imports and new tariffs on semiconductors, could come as a significant blow if imposed.
China's ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) is emerging as a formidable player in the global DRAM market, potentially challenging Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix's market dominance. This development bears striking similarities to South Korea's disruption of Japan's memory industry decades ago.
South Korean memory maker SK Hynix saw its exports of multi-chip packages (MCP) fall by nearly 30% sequentially in January 2025. At the same time, some analysts believe that after two years of rapid growth, high-bandwidth memory (HBM) is becoming more sensitive to seasonal demand changes.
Chinese AI startup DeepSeek has demonstrated a cost-effective approach to high-performance AI, potentially disrupting SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics' positions as key suppliers of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) for Nvidia. This development has prompted both companies to consider strategic shifts, with industry observers closely monitoring the situation.
Following production cuts by NAND flash manufacturers and the resolution of inventory destocking issues in China's sector, industry supply chain sources indicate that NAND spot pricing has begun to increase after the Lunar New Year holiday.
The memory industry continues to face seasonal headwinds in early 2025, with persistent price declines. The Lunar New Year holiday has further impacted revenue, reducing working days and dampening sales across memory manufacturers in January. Analysts expect the DRAM market to bottom out in the first half of 2025, though ongoing sluggish inventory clearance suggests performance may remain on par with late 2024.
Taiwan's export growth maintained its momentum in January 2025, driven primarily by artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC) demand, according to statistics from Taiwan's Ministry of Finance (MOF).
SK Hynix's memory business in China faces numerous uncertainties due to the ongoing US-China conflict. Chief Production Officer (CPO) Young-Sik Kim will reportedly lead the Wuxi fab in response to tariffs and sanctions following the inauguration of Trump's new administration.
End markets are facing diminished demand, leading NAND manufacturers to gradually reduce production since the end of 2024, according to industry sources.
A significant shift in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector is reshaping the semiconductor market. DeepSeek, a Chinese AI startup, recently unveiled a large language model (LLM) that competes with those from major global players, while utilizing lower-end GPUs. This development has raised concerns among high-bandwidth memory (HBM) suppliers, as the shift could signal a potential drop in HBM prices. On the first trading day after South Korea's Lunar New Year in 2025, shares of SK Hynix fell by as much as 12%, while Samsung Electronics saw its stock drop by 4%.
Samsung Electronics' Device Solutions (DS) division has reported weaker-than-expected earnings for the fourth quarter of 2024, grappling with a series of challenges that have raised concerns within the semiconductor industry. Experts point to five major obstacles currently facing Samsung's semiconductor business: falling prices for general-purpose DRAM, delays in HBM deliveries, slowing demand for enterprise solid-state drives (eSSDs), widening losses in its foundry business, and escalating tensions between the US-China conflicts that may be difficult to resolve in the short term.
With the advent of the artificial intelligence (AI) era, Taiwan's industrial ecosystem has become increasingly significant. Samsung Electronics (Samsung), which previously prioritized exhibitions in the US and Europe, is reportedly set to participate in Computex for the first time in 13 years, showcasing advanced products such as high bandwidth memory (HBM).
The memory market underwent a phase of rest and consolidation just prior to the Lunar New Year holiday. DDR5 has experienced modest price increases in recent months, while other products, including DDR4 and NAND wafers, have experienced minor decreases of 1-2%. Nevertheless, overall demand remains subdued, according to industry sources.
Samsung Electronics (Samsung) plans to release an enhanced version of HBM3E as it works to close the gap with SK Hynix in HBM supply and DRAM development. The company aims to double its HBM supply in 2025 compared to the previous year, raising questions about its ability to execute this ambitious turnaround.
According to a report by Nikkei, Tongfu Microelectronics is rumored to have commenced trial production of high bandwidth memory (HBM2). This development follows fellow Chinese manufacturer ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) starting its own HBM2 production, suggesting a potential expansion of China's presence in the advanced memory industry.
In a significant advancement for China's semiconductor industry, Yangtze Memory Technologies Co. (YMTC) has achieved a new milestone with its fifth-generation 3D TLC NAND flash memory. According to Tom's Hardware, as reported by IThome on January 31, 2025, the company has begun shipping these chips, which feature a total of 294 layers with 232 active layers.
China's Changxin Memory Technologies (CXMT) has reportedly adopted the 1z process for its 10nm-class DDR5 production, prompting heightened concern at Samsung Electronics, which is now closely monitoring the status of advanced DRAM production in China.