The race to power the next generation of artificial intelligence is intensifying in the memory sector. According to a report from South Korean media, the world's two leading memory chipmakers, Samsung and SK Hynix, are poised to begin mass production of their next-generation High Bandwidth Memory (HBM4) chips simultaneously in February 2026. This coordinated launch marks a significant milestone, as it represents the first time the global memory semiconductor industry will see such a synchronized transition to a new HBM standard. The move is driven by insatiable demand from AI giants like Nvidia and Google, who are already lining up as primary customers for the advanced memory, essential for training increasingly complex AI models.
Reported Market Context: Industry rumors indicate the HBM production capacity of both Samsung and SK Hynix for the coming year is already fully sold out, with major AI firms (Amazon, Google, Microsoft, OpenAI) competing for supply.
The February 2026 Production Timeline
Both Samsung and SK Hynix have reportedly finalized their plans to kick off high-volume manufacturing of HBM4 in the second month of 2026. SK Hynix is set to commence production at its key facilities in South Korea, specifically the M16 factory in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, and the M15X factory in Cheongju. Not to be outdone, Samsung will initiate its own HBM4 production line at the same time within its Pyeongtaek campus. This synchronized start is unusual in the competitive semiconductor industry and underscores the critical, time-sensitive demand from their lead customers. It signals that both companies have reached a sufficient level of technological maturity and yield confidence to commit to this aggressive timeline.
HBM4 Production Start & Key Details:
| Company | Mass Production Start | Key Production Locations | Technical Approach / Partner | Claimed Performance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung | February 2026 | Pyeongtaek Campus, South Korea | In-house "Turnkey" with 10nm process | 11.7 Gbps data rate |
| SK Hynix | February 2026 | M16 (Icheon) & M15X (Cheongju), South Korea | Collaboration with TSMC using 12nm process | 2x bandwidth, >40% better efficiency vs. HBM3E |
HBM4: A Shift Towards Customization and Performance
The transition to HBM4 is being characterized as more than a simple iterative upgrade. Industry analysts note it represents a pivotal shift towards highly customized memory solutions tailored for specific AI accelerator architectures. SK Hynix's strategy involves a collaboration with the foundry leader TSMC. For its HBM4, SK Hynix will utilize TSMC's 12nm process technology for the base die, a move expected to deliver a substantial leap in performance. The company claims this approach will double the bandwidth compared to the previous HBM3E generation while improving power efficiency by over 40%.
Samsung's Competitive Strategy with 10nm Technology
Samsung, in contrast, is pursuing a different technical path to compete. The company is leveraging its integrated "Turnkey" manufacturing capabilities and pushing its own process technology forward. Samsung has decided to adopt a more advanced 10nm-class process for its HBM4 chips. Based on internal evaluations, this has allowed Samsung to achieve a data transfer rate of 11.7 gigabits per second (Gbps), which it claims is an industry-leading figure for HBM4. This performance confidence is cited as the key reason Samsung feels comfortable aligning its mass production schedule with its rival's earlier timeline.
Primary Customers: Nvidia's Rubin and Google's TPU v7
The destination for these new memory chips is already clear. The report indicates that the majority of Samsung's initial HBM4 output is earmarked for Nvidia's next-generation AI accelerator platform, codenamed "Vera Rubin," which is slated for release in the latter half of 2026. Furthermore, a portion of Samsung's HBM4 supply will be directed to Google, where it will be integrated into the search giant's seventh-generation Tensor Processing Unit (TPU). This confirms that the next wave of flagship AI hardware from two of the sector's most influential companies will be built upon HBM4 memory.
Primary Customers for Initial HBM4 Supply:
- Nvidia: For its next-generation "Vera Rubin" AI accelerator system (planned H2 2026 release).
- Google: For integration into its seventh-generation Tensor Processing Unit (TPU).
An AI Industry Facing Supply Constraints
The urgency behind this production ramp is fueled by a market where demand far outstrips supply. Previous industry rumors have suggested that the combined HBM production capacity of Samsung and SK Hynix for the coming year is already fully booked. Major cloud and AI companies, including Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI, are engaged in a fierce competition to secure as many high-bandwidth memory chips as possible. This scarcity highlights a potential bottleneck for AI development, where progress in model complexity and capability could be gated by the availability of advanced memory like HBM4. The February 2026 production start is therefore a critical date on the calendar for the entire AI ecosystem.