Investment Rating - The report maintains a "Buy" rating for key stocks in the semiconductor and storage sectors, including companies like 香农芯创, 东山精密, 胜宏科技, and 工业富联 [5] Core Insights - The storage market is undergoing a significant structural transformation, with DRAM and NAND flash experiencing unprecedented supply shortages, expected to last until at least 2026 [1][10] - The demand for optical chips is surging, exacerbating the supply-demand imbalance, particularly in the data center sector [1][37] - SK Hynix is transitioning towards a comprehensive AI storage strategy, introducing customized HBM and AI-focused DRAM and NAND products [2][13] - SanDisk reported exceptional FY26 Q1 results, driven by strong NAND demand, with revenue reaching $2.308 billion, a 21% increase quarter-over-quarter [3][29] Summary by Sections Storage Supply and Demand - The DRAM market is experiencing a severe shortage, with prices for DDR5 and DDR4 expected to rise until 2027, driven by a lack of new capacity and high demand from data centers [1][10] - NAND flash supply is also tight, with significant price increases observed in November, reflecting a 50% rise in quotes [1][10] - SanDisk's NAND bit shipments grew by approximately 15%, with expectations of continued strong demand through 2026 [3][29] Optical Chip Demand - Lumentum and Coherent reported strong earnings, benefiting from increased demand for optical chips in data centers, with Lumentum noting a supply-demand gap widening to 25-30% [1][43][49] - Coherent's Q1 revenue reached $1.58 billion, with a significant portion coming from data center and communication sectors [2][51] Key Company Developments - SK Hynix unveiled its product roadmap focusing on AI storage solutions, including customized HBM and AI DRAM, aiming to enhance computational efficiency [2][13] - Lumentum's Q1 revenue was $533.8 million, with a gross margin of 39.4%, driven by strong demand in data center interconnects [43][44] - Coherent's Q1 revenue was $1.58 billion, with a focus on expanding its phosphide production capacity to meet growing demand [50][58]

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the significant transformation in data centers from a "compute-centric" approach to a "bandwidth-driven" model, highlighting the rise of High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) as a crucial infrastructure for large model computations [1][2]. Group 1: HBM Market Dynamics - HBM has evolved from being a standard component in high-performance AI chips to a strategic focal point in the semiconductor industry, with major players like Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron viewing it as a key driver for future revenue growth [2][4]. - SK Hynix has established a dominant position in the HBM market, holding approximately 50% market share, with a staggering 70% share in the latest HBM3E products [6][10]. - Samsung is also actively pursuing custom HBM supply agreements with various clients, indicating a competitive landscape among these semiconductor giants [6][10]. Group 2: Customization Trends - Customization of HBM is becoming a necessity, driven by cloud giants seeking tailored AI chips, with SK Hynix already engaging with major clients like NVIDIA and Microsoft for custom HBM solutions [4][5]. - The integration of base die functions into logic chips allows for greater flexibility and control over HBM core chip stacks, optimizing performance, power consumption, and area [7][9]. Group 3: Hybrid Bonding Technology - Hybrid bonding is emerging as a critical technology for future HBM development, addressing challenges posed by traditional soldering techniques as stacking layers increase [12][18]. - Major companies, including Samsung and SK Hynix, are exploring hybrid bonding for their next-generation HBM products, which could lead to significant advancements in performance and efficiency [13][18]. Group 4: Future HBM Innovations - The article outlines the anticipated evolution of HBM technology from HBM4 to HBM8, detailing improvements in bandwidth, capacity, and power efficiency, with HBM8 expected to achieve a bandwidth of 64 TB/s and a capacity of up to 240 GB per module [20][21][27]. - Key innovations include the introduction of 3D integration technologies, advanced cooling methods, and AI-driven design optimizations, which are set to enhance the overall performance and efficiency of HBM systems [29][30]. Group 5: Competitive Landscape - The competition among DRAM manufacturers and bonding equipment suppliers is intensifying, with companies needing to collaborate across various domains to succeed in the evolving HBM market [33]. - The future of HBM technology will likely be shaped by the ability of companies to integrate diverse processes and resources, with the race for dominance in the post-AI era just beginning [33].