The semiconductor market is poised for significant growth this year, driven by the increasing demand for products tailored to artificial intelligence (AI) servers. With global tech giants ramping up their investments in AI data centers and related infrastructure, the share of AI products in the server semiconductor market is projected to surpass 70%. Samsung Electronics is expected to play a pivotal role in this expansion by accelerating the commercialization of high-bandwidth memory (HBM)4 and 10 nm class 6th generation (1c) DRAM products.
According to market research firm TrendForce, the total value generated from the server industry this year is anticipated to reach $4.133 trillion (approximately 601 trillion won). Of this, AI servers are projected to account for $2.976 trillion (approximately 433 trillion won), or 72%. This marks a 5 percentage point increase from last year’s 67% share.
The surge in AI server shipments has been notable. Last year, server OEMs and cloud service providers (CSPs) purchased NVIDIA’s GPU Hopper in large quantities, resulting in a 46% growth compared to the previous year. This upward trend is expected to continue, with AI server shipments projected to increase by 28% this year. TrendForce noted, “When the new Blackwell products, the GB300 and B300 models, are released around the third quarter of this year, the shipment volume of Blackwell-based products like the GB rack series will increase.”
For Samsung Electronics, the focus on memory for AI GPUs, including HBM4, is crucial to meet the growing demand from global tech companies. The company is preparing to mass-produce the 6th generation HBM, HBM4, in the second half of next year. Additionally, Samsung plans to incorporate 1c DRAM, a generation ahead of competitors SK Hynix and Micron, into this product.
Kim Sun-woo, a researcher at Meritz Securities, emphasized the importance of Samsung’s efforts, stating, “Samsung Electronics must demonstrate its capability by passing NVIDIA’s HBM quality certification and securing competitiveness in 1c DRAM.”
