Korean memory chipmaker; M15X investment plan presented by Kim Yeongsik, Head of Manufacturing Technology, at the company's AI-era vision press conference
“Four fabs will be built sequentially at the Yongin Semiconductor Cluster, with construction of the first fab scheduled to begin in March 2025 and be completed in May 2027.”
On track so far: SK hynix broke ground on the first Yongin fab in late February 2025, slightly ahead of the March plan, with the 9.4 trillion won facility still targeted for completion in May 2027.
“Construction of the M15X fab in Cheongju has started, for completion in November 2025, with mass production from the third quarter of 2026.”
Construction finished essentially on schedule (cleanroom opened and equipment installation began in October 2025, completion at end-2025 rather than November), and the fab's HBM3E/HBM4 ramp was pulled forward into the first half of 2026 — ahead of the promised third-quarter 2026 start.
“HBM sales, which accounted for 30% of total DRAM revenues in the third quarter, are expected to reach 40% in the fourth quarter, as the company starts supplying 12-layer HBM3E products in Q4 as scheduled.”
SK hynix reported with its Q4 2024 results that HBM 'continued its significant growth in the fourth quarter, accounting for over 40 percent of our total DRAM revenue,' and 12-layer HBM3E supply did begin in Q4.