SK Hynix, one of the world's largest memory chip manufacturers, is in negotiations with Intel to potentially produce memory at Intel's upcoming semiconductor fabrication complex in New Albany, Ohio.
The talks, first reported by Reuters citing anonymous sources, could see SK Hynix either lease space within Intel's planned fab or form a joint venture — possibly involving cloud hyperscalers seeking to secure additional memory supply. The deal would cover advanced memory products, potentially including DDR6 DRAM, High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) for AI accelerators, or NAND flash for SSDs.
Intel's Ohio complex, originally targeted for completion in 2025, has been repeatedly delayed amid the company's broader financial crisis. Production is now expected to begin no earlier than 2030, with volume manufacturing at least a year after that. SK Hynix would face a similar timeline, meaning the deal would offer no near-term relief to tight memory markets.
The arrangement could face regulatory hurdles: South Korea classifies advanced memory manufacturing as sensitive technology and may require approval for overseas production. The South Korean government has previously restricted the transfer of cutting-edge semiconductor know-how to foreign facilities.
If finalized, the deal would mark a significant development in US semiconductor manufacturing, bringing Korean memory expertise to American soil at a time when the CHIPS Act is driving billions in domestic chip investment. The involvement of cloud hyperscalers as potential joint venture partners underscores how AI-driven demand for HBM and high-performance memory is reshaping supply chain relationships across the industry.
