SEOUL, February 17 (AJP) - SK hynix and Micron Technology are ramping up efforts to enhance their high-bandwidth memory (HBM) capabilities through internal restructuring and aggressive external recruitment, as demand for AI-driven HBM chips continues to rise.
SK hynix has introduced an internal Career Growth Program focused on HBM design, advanced packaging development, AI infrastructure, and customer quality management. The company is also transferring DRAM process engineers to its new M15X fabrication facility in Cheongju, which will serve as a key production hub for HBM.
Market research firm TrendForce reports that "HBM has emerged as a key growth driver in the DRAM industry due to surging AI demand," predicting that "HBM3E supply will remain tight in 2025."
Micron, currently ranked third in the HBM market, is actively recruiting Korean engineers for its Hiroshima plant, a 500 billion yen ($4.7 trillion) facility set to commence operations in 2027.
The company is currently supplying 8-layer HBM3E products to Nvidia and aims to begin mass production of 12-layer products in the latter half of 2025.
Chinese memory manufacturer ChangXin Memory Technologies is also expanding its presence in the HBM sector, with approximately 35 percent of its engineers being Korean nationals. The company is constructing a 280,000-square-meter facility dedicated to HBM2 production and is recruiting for 758 positions, including experienced HBM design engineers.
"Memory demand is increasing while there is a global shortage of semiconductor engineers," a semiconductor industry official said. "Chinese firms, in particular, are aggressively recruiting Korean engineers to bridge their four-to-five-year technology gap in DRAM."
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.