South Korean chip giant SK Hynix, which makes the majority of the world's high-bandwidth memory chips for artificial intelligence, is undergoing the world’s largest memory fab buildout, betting $720 billion to triple capacity by 2034. This secretive memory king is also the hottest new entrant to the U.S. market, following a blockbuster Nasdaq debut in July.
SK Hynix, whose market cap has jumped more than fivefold in the past year and now tops $1 trillion, is making a big bet that extreme demand from AI is here to stay. Soaring memory prices exacerbated by capacity constraints are changing the fabric of the classic boom-and-bust industry, with AI chip giants like Nvidia willing to take on more risk as they scramble to secure supply. This is a never before seen look inside the highly secured company from the largest factory being built in South Korea to an inside look at a cleanroom where memory is made, to SK Hynix’s first ever U.S. facility coming in Indiana.
Plus, CNBC’s Katie Tarasov got a rare chance to sit down with SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won and SK Hynix technology leads to ask about the huge risks they're taking in hopes that AI has changed the memory business for good.
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
2:09 $720 billion chip bet
8:23 Making HBM in a hurry
12:43 Boom and bust?
17:42 Coming to America
Reporter and Producer: Katie Tarasov
Senior Director of Video: Jeniece Pettitt
Edited by: Erin Black, Andrew Evers
Additional Camera: Richard Larkin, Nenad Simic
Animation: Jason Reginato, Emily Park, Christina Locopo
Additional Footage: SK Hynix, AMD, Samsung, Micron, Getty Images, Solidigm, ASML
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SK Hynix, whose market cap has jumped more than fivefold in the past year and now tops $1 trillion, is making a big bet that extreme demand from AI is here to stay. Soaring memory prices exacerbated by capacity constraints are changing the fabric of the classic boom-and-bust industry, with AI chip giants like Nvidia willing to take on more risk as they scramble to secure supply. This is a never before seen look inside the highly secured company from the largest factory being built in South Korea to an inside look at a cleanroom where memory is made, to SK Hynix’s first ever U.S. facility coming in Indiana.
Plus, CNBC’s Katie Tarasov got a rare chance to sit down with SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won and SK Hynix technology leads to ask about the huge risks they're taking in hopes that AI has changed the memory business for good.
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
2:09 $720 billion chip bet
8:23 Making HBM in a hurry
12:43 Boom and bust?
17:42 Coming to America
Reporter and Producer: Katie Tarasov
Senior Director of Video: Jeniece Pettitt
Edited by: Erin Black, Andrew Evers
Additional Camera: Richard Larkin, Nenad Simic
Animation: Jason Reginato, Emily Park, Christina Locopo
Additional Footage: SK Hynix, AMD, Samsung, Micron, Getty Images, Solidigm, ASML
» Subscribe to CNBC: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBC
» Subscribe to CNBC TV: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBCtelevision
About CNBC: From 'Wall Street' to 'Main Street' to award winning original documentaries and Reality TV series, CNBC has you covered. Experience special sneak peeks of your favorite shows, exclusive video and more.
Want to get ahead at work? Then you need to learn how to make effective small talk. In CNBC’s new online course, How To Talk To People At Work, expert instructors teach you how to use everyday conversation to gain visibility, build meaningful relationships and advance your career. Sign up now: https://cnb.cx/4sGlSkh
Connect with CNBC News Online
Get the latest news: https://www.cnbc.com/
Follow CNBC on LinkedIn: https://cnb.cx/LinkedInCNBC
Follow CNBC News on Instagram: https://cnb.cx/InstagramCNBC
Follow CNBC News on Facebook: https://cnb.cx/LikeCNBC
Follow CNBC on Threads: https://cnb.cx/threads
Follow CNBC News on X: https://cnb.cx/FollowCNBC
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