SK Hynix plans to begin volume production of its next-generation HBM4E memory chips at its Indiana facility in the third quarter of 2029, as the company expects the current global memory shortage to continue through the end of 2030.
The South Korean chipmaker is investing more than $4 billion in the U.S. project, which will include an advanced HBM packaging line and an AI semiconductor research center at Purdue Research Park in West Lafayette.
Chief Executive Kwak Noh-Jung said the Indiana site could eventually reach annual capacity of hundreds of thousands of wafers. Cleanroom operations are expected to begin in the second half of 2028.
The facility will form part of an integrated Korea-U.S. production network. Advanced wafers manufactured in South Korea will be shipped to Indiana for packaging and testing before being supplied to major American customers including Nvidia, Microsoft and Google.
SK Hynix is currently the global leader in high-bandwidth memory. According to Counterpoint Research, the company held 58% of the HBM market by revenue in the first quarter of 2026, compared with 21% each for Samsung Electronics and Micron.
Kwak said he sees no clear signs of a major memory downturn and expects any future slowdown to involve softer growth rather than a sharp fall in demand. The company believes intense investment in AI infrastructure will continue supporting demand for advanced memory products.
SK Hynix expects the Indiana project and related supply-chain investment to create around 7,000 direct and indirect jobs while strengthening U.S. semiconductor production capacity.
