Samsung to More Than Double HBM4 and HBM4E DRAM Output in 2025

Increased HBM Production Targets

Samsung Electronics expects to more than double its output of HBM4 and HBM4E high-bandwidth memory chips in 2025. This includes both sixth-generation HBM4 and seventh-generation HBM4E products. The company plans to increase its demand for glass carriers, a critical material in HBM production, by 2.5 times compared to this year.

Glass Carrier Demand Surge

To support this production increase, Samsung will raise its outsourced cleaning volume for glass carriers from 20,000 sheets per month this year to 50,000 sheets per month next year. Glass carrier requirements were 10,000 sheets per month last year, indicating a rapid escalation in demand.

Glass carriers are temporary supports attached to HBM DRAM wafers to prevent damage during thinning and drilling processes. As HBM stacks become denser, the technology for thinning wafers and controlling warpage becomes more crucial.

Focus on High-Layer Stacks

The planned expansion for HBM4 and HBM4E centers on 12-layer and higher stacks. Industry analysts suggest that a 2.5-fold increase in glass carrier volume strongly indicates at least a twofold growth in HBM4 and HBM4E output, even considering carrier reuse and process variations.

Recent HBM Milestones

Samsung began mass production shipments of HBM4 in February, utilizing 10-nanometer-class sixth-generation (1c) DRAM and a 4-nanometer process base die. In May, the company provided 12-layer HBM4E samples to customers, including Nvidia.

Projected Market Impact

The industry anticipates Samsung's overall HBM production scale to grow by nearly 40%, from approximately 180,000 wafers this year to about 250,000 wafers next year, based on average monthly wafer input. The HBM4 family is projected to increase its share of Samsung's product shipment mix from around 40% this year to about 80% next year as HBM4E mass production ramps up, positioning HBM4 as a central high-value product.