存储技术迭代无止境？巨头纷纷押注HBF

Core Insights - The storage industry is entering the "post-HBM era" as the AI inference market rapidly grows, with major players like Samsung and SK Hynix advancing their sixth-generation HBM while new technologies like HBF are emerging to compete in AI storage [1][2] Group 1: HBF Technology Development - Major storage manufacturers, including Samsung, SK Hynix, and SanDisk, are investing in the research and development of HBF technology, with SK Hynix recently launching the "AIN series" that includes HBF products [1][2] - HBF, or High Bandwidth Flash, is a product made by stacking NAND flash memory, offering approximately 10 times the capacity of DRAM, which is crucial for supporting next-generation AI applications [2][3] - SanDisk first proposed the HBF concept in February, positioning it as an innovative product that combines 3D NAND capacity with HBM bandwidth, with plans to release initial HBF memory samples by the second half of 2026 [2][3] Group 2: Market Demand and Growth Projections - The HBF market is projected to reach $12 billion by 2030, representing about 10% of the HBM market size of approximately $117 billion, indicating a complementary relationship that could accelerate growth [2] - The demand for storage is expected to surge to hundreds of exabytes due to the rise of AI inference applications, with capacity becoming a bottleneck for computational power [4] - The storage industry is currently experiencing a "super cycle," driven by the increasing need for real-time access and high-speed processing of massive data, prompting HDD and SSD suppliers to expand their offerings of high-capacity storage products [4]