SK Hynix, Micron Gain Share In HBM But Samsung Loses Ground

SK Hynix and Micron continue to gain market share in the booming high bandwidth memory (HBM) market, but Samsung is losing ground in the arena

By Mark LaPedus

SK Hynix and Micron Technology continue to gain market share in the booming high bandwidth memory (HBM) market, but Samsung is losing ground in the arena.

HBM, a chip technology that plays a central role in today’s AI systems, is a hot market. HBM is a specialized memory device used in high-end systems, such as servers and supercomputers. HBM enables high memory bandwidth in systems.

In HBM, a DRAM supplier takes a standard DRAM, and vertically stacks several of these devices. The DRAM dies are connected using tiny vertical wires called through-silicon vias (TSVs). The TSVs provide the electrical connections between each die.

South Korea’s SK Hynix is the leader in the HBM business in terms of market share. SK Hynix’ HBM bit shipment share was 62% in the second quarter of 2025, up from 55% in the like period a year ago, according to Counterpoint Research.

U.S.-based Micron is in second place. Micron’s HBM bit shipment share was 21% in the second quarter of 2025, up from 4% a year ago, according to Counterpoint Research.

Samsung’s HBM shipment share dropped to 17% in Q2 2025 from 41% in the year-ago quarter, falling behind competitors such as SK Hynix and Micron, according to the research firm.

South Korea’s Samsung has lost share for several reasons. First, the company is unable to meet the required HBM specifications at Nvidia. “One key reason for the sharp decline in Samsung’s HBM market share during the first half of the year was the export restrictions to China, which limited the company’s sales channels,” according to the firm.

Commenting on the future of Samsung’s HBM sales, Counterpoint Research analyst Jeongku Choi said: “The good news is that Samsung’s HBM sales appear to have bottomed out in Q1 2025 and are showing signs of recovery in Q2 2025. However, to regain lost market share, it is critical for Samsung to diversify its HBM3E customer base and pass Nvidia’s stringent quality tests. To supply HBM4 for Nvidia’s next-generation Rubin platform, Samsung must ensure quality in the customer’s eye and achieve stable yield levels.”

There is also more bad news for Samsung. SK Hynix surpassed Samsung as the world’s largest memory supplier, according to the firm.