Core Viewpoint - Samsung Electronics is experiencing a recovery in its core business areas, particularly in semiconductors, following the resolution of Chairman Lee Jae-Yong's legal issues. The company has signed a significant contract worth 22 trillion KRW with Tesla, marking a turnaround for its foundry business and the System LSI department [2][3]. Group 1: Semiconductor Business Developments - The DS (Device Solutions) division of Samsung Electronics has successfully addressed two of the three major challenges it faced in the second half of the year, specifically in the memory sector with HBM and the foundry sector with 2nm technology [3]. - The Galaxy Z Flip 7, launched on September 9, features the Exynos 2500 processor, which has helped to recover from previous setbacks. Initially, the Galaxy S25 series was expected to use this chip, but the mobile division opted for Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 instead, leading to a disappointing outcome for Exynos [3][4]. - Samsung Electronics announced a contract for 2nm semiconductor mass production worth 22.7647 trillion KRW with Tesla, a significant client that the foundry division has long sought. This contract is expected to bolster the company's position in the semiconductor industry [3][4]. Group 2: Market and Ecosystem Implications - The contract with Tesla is seen as a catalyst for industry rebound and ecosystem expansion, as it can revitalize the entire semiconductor sector by attracting more global clients and establishing a robust ecosystem involving foundries, IP, design companies, and post-processing firms [4]. - The HBM (High Bandwidth Memory) business remains a critical area for Samsung, which has made progress by confirming the supply of 12-layer HBM3E to AMD. However, it still needs to build sufficient momentum to change market perceptions that it lags behind competitors like SK Hynix [4][5]. - In the second quarter, HBM3E accounted for over 80% of Samsung's total HBM business, with expectations that this will exceed 90% in the second half of the year. The company has also completed mass production approval for HBM4 using 1c DRAM and has supplied samples to clients [4][5].

Core Viewpoint - Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are set to increase production costs for the next generation of High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) due to larger core die sizes and outsourcing of base die production, which they may struggle to pass on to customers as Micron begins supplying HBM to Nvidia, breaking SK Hynix's previous monopoly [1][2]. Group 1: Production Changes - The number of I/O interfaces has increased in HBM4, leading to a decrease in the number of chips produced per wafer compared to HBM3E, as the core die size expands [2]. - HBM4 will utilize 10nm fifth-generation DRAM, maintaining the same generation as HBM3E, but with I/O numbers increasing from 1024 to 2048, directly impacting production efficiency [2]. Group 2: Cost Implications - Despite an expected slight increase in wafer output for Samsung's HBM4 due to the use of 10nm sixth-generation DRAM, the overall manufacturing costs are anticipated to be higher due to increased process complexity [3]. - The price for HBM4's 12-layer stacked products is projected to exceed $600, while current HBM3 and HBM3E products are priced around $200 and $300, respectively [3]. Group 3: Outsourcing and Collaboration - The shift to using foundries for producing HBM4's base die is a significant factor in rising costs, as previous generations were produced in-house by memory manufacturers [4]. - Major AI chip companies like Nvidia, AMD, and Microsoft are increasingly demanding customized base die, indicating a trend towards collaboration between memory manufacturers and foundries for advanced HBM products [4].

Core Viewpoint - SK Hynix is set to begin mass production of HBM4 in the second half of this year, with a significant increase in data processing speed and enhanced functionality of the base die, leading to an expected price increase of over 30% compared to previous generations [1][3]. Group 1: HBM4 Production and Cost Structure - HBM4's logic chip production has been outsourced to TSMC, which is expected to account for approximately 20% of the total unit cost of HBM4 [1][7]. - The high production costs of the logic chips from TSMC may limit SK Hynix's profitability despite the anticipated price increase of HBM4 [1][4]. - The expected price for HBM4 is around $2 per Gb, which is about 30% more expensive than the previous generation HBM3E [7]. Group 2: Market Position and Competitive Landscape - SK Hynix is currently the leading company in the HBM market and is the largest supplier of HBM to NVIDIA [3]. - The transition to HBM4 involves the addition of various functionalities to the logic chips, which are now custom-designed rather than merely connecting chips as in previous generations [7]. - Concerns have been raised that outsourcing the production of logic chips could weaken SK Hynix's profitability for the next generation of HBM due to TSMC's dominant position in advanced foundry processes [4][7]. Group 3: Future Negotiations and Supply Dynamics - SK Hynix is expected to finalize negotiations with NVIDIA regarding HBM4 supply for the next year, with the potential for price adjustments based on guaranteed supply volumes [8].

如果您希望可以时常见面，欢迎标星收藏哦~ 来源：内容 编译自 semiconductor-digest ，谢谢。 SEMI今日在其材料市场数据订阅（MMDS）中报告称，2024年全球半导体材料市场收入将增长 3.8%，达到675亿美元。整体半导体市场的复苏，以及高性能计算和高带宽存储器制造对先进材料 需求的不断增长，支撑了2024年材料收入的增长。 2024年，晶圆制造材料收入增长3.3%，达到429亿美元；封装材料收入增长4.7%，达到246亿美 元。化学机械平坦化(CMP)、光刻胶及光刻胶辅助设备细分市场实现了强劲的两位数增长，这得益 于先进DRAM、3D NAND闪存和前沿逻辑集成电路(IC)所需的工艺复杂性和工序数量的增加。除 硅和绝缘体上硅(SOI)外，所有半导体材料细分市场均实现了同比增长。由于行业持续消化过剩库 存，2024年对硅的需求（尤其是在后缘细分市场）依然疲软，导致2024年硅收入下降7.1%。 台湾地区以201亿美元的营收连续15年成为全球最大的半导体材料消费地区。中国大陆地区以135 亿美元的营收继续实现同比增长，将在2024年位居第二；韩国则以105亿美元的营收位居第三。除 日本外 ...