SK Hynix Inc. is expanding its U.S. semiconductor footprint with a focus on high-bandwidth memory (HBM) used in artificial intelligence applications. The company confirmed the construction of a new facility in Indiana, marking its first U.S. production base for HBM.
The Indiana plant is expected to cost more than $4 billion and will include advanced packaging and testing capabilities. Mass production of next-generation HBM is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2029. The facility is designed to serve as a U.S. hub for this memory type, with operations integrated with its South Korean manufacturing sites.
This move follows a broader trend of localizing chip supply chains in the United States. SK Hynix is distinguishing its strategy from Samsung Electronics, which began manufacturing in the U.S. decades ago with general memory chips before transitioning to logic and foundry manufacturing.
Separately, Reuters reported that SK Hynix is exploring a potential arrangement with Intel Corp. to manufacture memory chips in the U.S. Possible options include leasing space at Intel’s planned Ohio facility or forming a joint venture involving Intel and major cloud companies. Neither SK Hynix nor Intel has confirmed that a deal has been reached. If such an arrangement were to occur, it could move SK Hynix beyond U.S. HBM packaging and testing toward front-end memory manufacturing.
Other memory manufacturers, such as Micron Technology, are also investing heavily to expand U.S. DRAM production. Samsung has maintained a long-standing manufacturing presence in the U.S., having opened its first Austin, Texas, fabrication plant in 1997.
