Samsung Electronics' institutional sector for semiconductors will transfer some of the manufacturing personnel from its foundry (contract semiconductor production) division to the memory manufacturing technology center and other departments. This measure is aimed at enhancing production capacity for next-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM), including the 6th generation HBM (HBM4). Starting with HBM4, foundry processes will be applied to the "logic die," which serves as the brain of the HBM.
According to industry sources on the 7th, Samsung Electronics' institutional sector issued a "job posting" notice on the 2nd aimed at personnel in the processes, facilities, and manufacturing areas of its foundry division. It will transfer more than double-digit personnel from the foundry division to the memory manufacturing technology center, semiconductor research institute, and global manufacturing & infrastructure management.
This personnel transfer in the foundry division is focused on enhancing the competitiveness of the HBM business. The memory manufacturing technology center noted that it will be enhancing competitiveness for "securing a leading position in the next-generation HBM market," the semiconductor research institute will be conducting research and development to "strengthen leadership in HBM and packaging technology," and global manufacturing & infrastructure management will be expanding personnel to "enhance technical capabilities in HBM and new product measurement, analysis, and facilities."
A source familiar with Samsung Electronics stated, "Samsung Electronics has notified foundry division personnel through an email titled 'Emergency staffing for the production of new memory products, including HBM and next-generation DRAM,'" and added, "It is expected to accelerate the production of next-generation products such as HBM4."
There is an analysis that this personnel transfer is a measure to strengthen competitiveness in the HBM market, where it has ceded leadership to competitors such as SK hynix. Unlike SK hynix and Micron, which supply HBM3E (5th generation HBM) products to major players like NVIDIA, Samsung Electronics has not yet passed quality testing for HBM3E. Therefore, Samsung Electronics is committing to enhancing quality competitiveness for HBM4, which has emerged as a battleground in the next-generation HBM market. Starting from HBM4, foundry processes will be applied to the logic die mounted on the bottom layer of HBM. This will enable the creation of customized HBM optimized for design assets (IP) and application requirements requested by clients.
Jeon Young-hyun, head of Samsung Electronics' institutional sector, noted at the company's annual shareholders' meeting on the 19th of last month, "We will significantly increase HBM supply compared to last year to further strengthen our position in the HBM market," and said, "To avoid repeating mistakes like those seen in the HBM4 market with HBM3E, we aim to develop and mass-produce it without setbacks by the second half of the year."
An industry source stated, "It is true that difficulties in securing contracts with big tech have created leeway to reallocate personnel," while expressing concerns that the competitiveness of the foundry business will be weakened as the gap with TSMC continues to widen.