# SK hynix Convenes Japan Chip Suppliers on Next HBM Roadmap
*The South Korean memory maker held its first supplier forum in Chiba Prefecture to align production plans with 20 critical Japanese vendors including Disco, Shin-Etsu and Tokyo Electron.*
**Published:** October 30, 2026
**By:** Ji-woo Han
**Section:** Semiconductors & AI Hardware — South Korea
**Format:** Breaking
**Confidence:** medium
**Source:** https://eastasiabrief.com/semiconductors/sk-hynix-convenes-japan-chip-suppliers-next-hbm-roadmap-1014
**Publisher:** East Asia Brief (https://eastasiabrief.com/)
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## What to know
- SK hynix convened 20 Japanese suppliers in Chiba on Oct. 29 to secure HBM materials
- Disco and Advantest hold 70% and 50% shares in critical back-end processing
- M15X tool move-in begins in late 2026 ahead of 16-layer HBM4 ramp
*Engineers wearing cleanroom suits examine manufacturing equipment inside a semiconductor production facility. (AI-generated image)*
SK hynix said Oct. 30 it had gathered executives from about 20 Japanese semiconductor equipment and materials suppliers in Chiba Prefecture to align production roadmaps for artificial intelligence memory.
The meeting, held Oct. 29, marked the first time the South Korean chipmaker convened its annual Partners Day outside South Korea. The company previously restricted the vision-sharing forum to domestic vendors.
The 20 invited Japanese companies cover five supply lines: raw materials, front-end manufacturing tools, back-end packaging and testing, components and plant infrastructure. SK hynix did not publish the total procurement value discussed at the forum.
Lee Byung-ki, head of mass production at SK hynix, led the delegation alongside four vice presidents overseeing purchasing, packaging, strategic sourcing and process development. The executives outlined production schedules for high-bandwidth memory, known as HBM.
HBM stacks multiple dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) dies vertically to multiply data transmission speeds for graphics processors. The architecture requires precision materials and packaging tools that Japanese suppliers dominate.
Kang Yu-jong, head of procurement at SK hynix, opened the forum by emphasizing supply security. Shin-Etsu Chemical Chairman Fumio Akiya delivered congratulatory remarks on behalf of the Japanese supplier delegation.
Shin-Etsu Chemical controls roughly 30% of global silicon wafer capacity and supplies photoresists and silicon materials. Tokyo Electron Chief Operating Officer Hiroshi Ishida also attended the session.
Tokyo Electron draws about 40% of its wafer fab tool revenue from memory manufacturers. The toolmaker provides deposition and etching systems essential for patterning micro-vias through silicon dies.
Lee Hyun-chul, vice president for procurement strategy at SK hynix, presented the company's mid- to long-term market forecasts. The memory maker urged suppliers to reserve production capacity well ahead of order releases.
Lee Sung-hoon, vice president for research and process development, followed with a briefing on technical transitions. The briefing covered process tolerances required for next-generation AI memory architectures, including HBM4.
SK hynix relies on specialized chemical formulations to bind and protect stacked memory dies. Packaging specialist Namics attended the meeting as a core supplier of epoxy underfill and encapsulation materials.
Namics supplies capillary underfill formulations that fill microscopic gaps between stacked chips. The materials are central to SK hynix's proprietary Mass Reflow Molded Underfill process, which dissipates operational heat.
SCREEN Holdings and wafer manufacturer SUMCO represented additional stages of front-end processing. SCREEN supplies wet cleaning tools that wash wafer surfaces between deposition cycles to protect yield rates.
Back-end toolmaker Disco Corporation sent senior representatives to discuss precision cutting requirements. Disco holds more than 70% of the global market for wafer grinding tools and dicing saws.
Thinning silicon wafers to dozens of micrometers is necessary to keep stacked HBM modules within package height limits. Disco's ultra-precision grinding systems shave DRAM dies before thermal bonding begins.
Advantest represented the test equipment tier at the Chiba forum. Advantest commands roughly 50% of the world market for memory test equipment, with demand driven by high-pin-count AI memory modules.
Testing stacked memory takes more than 30% longer than testing conventional planar DRAM chips. Every individual die and through-silicon via must undergo electrical screening before final assembly to prevent defective modules.
JSR Corporation attended the materials panel to review photoresist delivery schedules. The Japanese specialty chemical company provides advanced photoresists — light-sensitive liquids used to transfer micro-circuit patterns onto silicon — for deep-ultraviolet lithography.
SK hynix aims to keep its lead in the AI memory market as competition from Samsung Electronics accelerates. Securing advance commitments from toolmakers prevents delivery bottlenecks during fab expansions.
SK hynix is constructing its M15X fab in Cheongju, South Korea, to expand advanced packaging and DRAM output. Tool move-in schedules for the multi-billion-dollar facility begin in late 2026.
The company is also preparing commercial production of 16-layer HBM4 chips for release in 2026. The new generation adopts TSMC logic base dies, requiring tighter chemical and mechanical synchronization among international partners.
Lee Byung-ki said South Korea and Japan maintain complementary industrial strengths in the semiconductor supply chain. Forming unified execution teams with suppliers is essential to maintain cost efficiency, Lee said.
SK hynix did not disclose the capital expenditure commitments or procurement contract values discussed during the Chiba meetings. The company also declined to specify individual delivery allocations for 2026.
SK hynix plans to review tool delivery schedules and engineering qualification benchmarks with Japanese partners during quarterly technical sessions through the end of 2026.
## Impact map
| Event | Korea | China | Japan | Global impact |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| SK hynix Japan Partners Day | SK hynix secures advanced materials and dicing tools for M15X fab and 16-layer HBM4 | CXMT faces wider packaging equipment gap as Japan aligns with South Korean roadmaps | Disco, Shin-Etsu and Advantest lock in multi-year memory tool and chemical demand | AI memory packaging supply tightens around Seoul-Tokyo technical corridor |
## In this story
- **Companies:** SK hynix
- **Tickers:** 000660.KS
- **Exposed:** Shin-Etsu Chemical, Tokyo Electron, Disco, Advantest, Namics, SCREEN Holdings, SUMCO, JSR
- **Impact:** Supply Chain, Capex
## Primary sources
1. skhynix.co.kr
2. cstimes.com
3. lcnews.co.kr
4. ddaily.co.kr
5. skhynix.com
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Cite as: East Asia Brief, "SK hynix Convenes Japan Chip Suppliers on Next HBM Roadmap," October 30, 2026. https://eastasiabrief.com/semiconductors/sk-hynix-convenes-japan-chip-suppliers-next-hbm-roadmap-1014