Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (OTC:SSNLF) is stepping deeper into the race for next-generation AI memory chips as the sixth-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM4) supply battle tightens around a smaller group of major players.



<h2>HBM4 Supply Narrows To Samsung And SK Hynix</h2>



SemiAnalysis reported that Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:NVDA) plans to source HBM4 for its next-generation &#34;Vera Rubin&#34; AI chips almost entirely from SK Hynix and Samsung, with Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ:MU) no longer in the mix.



The firm cut Micron's projected HBM4 share for Vera Rubin to zero and now expects SK Hynix to supply about 70% and Samsung roughly 30%, the Chosun Daily reported on Monday.



Vera Rubin, Nvidia's successor to Blackwell, will be the first AI chip to use HBM4.



<h2>Micron Falls Behind On Nvidia's Tougher Specs</h2>



Analysts attribute Micron's exit to difficulties meeting Nvidia's stricter technical requirements.



TrendForce and industry sources say Nvidia raised HBM4 data-transfer speed targets above 11 gigabits per second last year.



<h2>Samsung Prepares Mass Production And February Shipments</h2>



A separate update stated Samsung is preparing to begin mass production of HBM4 chips for AI infrastructure.



Bloomberg on Monday cited Yonhap News that Samsung plans to start shipping the chips to Nvidia as early as the third week of February, with the memory expected to support Nvidia's upcoming Vera Rubin AI accelerators.



Samsung's progress signals it is narrowing the gap with domestic rival SK Hynix, which has led Nvidia's memory supplier rankings.



Samsung stock gained, helped by rising memory-chip prices driven by heavy AI-driven demand from hyperscalers like Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:AMZN) and Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL).



Investor optimism around the data center spending boom has also lifted AI-linked U.S. tech stocks, with major hyperscalers expected to spend about $650 billion this year and Nvidia shares gaining nearly 8% on Friday.



MU Price Action: Micron Technology shares were down 2.23% at $385.88 during premarket trading on Monday, according to Benzinga Pro data.



Photo by Arcansel via Shutterstock

Nvidia's HBM4 supply chain has shifted, with Samsung and SK Hynix dominating as Micron falls behind due to stricter technical specifications. Nvidia plans to source HBM4 for its Vera Rubin AI chips almost entirely from these two companies, cutting Micron's projected share to zero. Samsung is set to begin mass production and shipments of HBM4 chips by February, capitalizing on rising demand from AI-driven markets. Meanwhile, Micron's stock fell 2.23% amid these developments.

- Samsung Electronics is intensifying competition in the AI memory chip sector, focusing on the sixth-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM4).  
- Nvidia plans to exclusively source HBM4 for its Vera Rubin AI chips from Samsung and SK Hynix, with Micron's projected share dropping to zero due to performance issues.  
- Samsung is preparing for mass production and shipments of HBM4 chips starting in late February, aiming to capitalize on the increasing demand for AI infrastructure.

Micron Shut Out Of Nvidia's HBM4 Plan As Specs Get Tougher