Samsung's P4 HBM push could worsen DRAM crunch in 2027 - digitimes

Samsung Electronics is reportedly planning to allocate most of its Pyeongtaek P4 cleanroom capacity to next-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM) production in 2027, potentially exacerbating global D... Read original →

Samsung’s strategic pivot of its P4 fab toward HBM3E/HBM4 represents a high-stakes bet on AI-driven memory demand at the expense of commodity DRAM output. This triggers a cascade: upstream EUV and TSV equipment orders surge, midstream CoWoS packaging bottlenecks intensify, and downstream AI chipmakers like NVIDIA face extended lead times. Geopolitically, U.S. export controls push Samsung to concentrate advanced production in Korea—reducing compliance risk but increasing supply chain fragility. Competitors will respond asymmetrically: SK Hynix accelerates HBM4 ramp, while Micron targets edge-AI with LPDDR5X to sidestep direct confrontation. Over the next 18 months, server DRAM prices could climb 15–20% due to capacity reallocation, and the HBM shortage will persist into 2028, forcing TSMC and packaging partners in Taiwan, China to expand CoWoS capacity. Memory-logic co-integration is now the new battleground.