SK Hynix, a semiconductor company based in South Korea, plans to open the first cleanroom at its new Yongin semiconductor fabrication plant two months ahead of schedule.
Opening of the cleanroom is now planned for March 2027.
The company stated that the acceleration reflects rising demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips, which are made from DRAM and used in AI accelerators and data centres.
The Yongin site is part of SK Hynix’s long-term strategy to expand advanced memory production.
New timeline of completion
The company is developing a four-fab complex, with each facility expected to exceed the scale of M15X, its next-generation DRAM and HBM plant in Cheongju.
Construction at Yongin has progressed rapidly, with core infrastructure and building frameworks advancing to support the accelerated timeline.
Equipment installation is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2027, following utility work from suppliers including TEMC CNS and STI.
The development of subsequent phases has also been fast-tracked.
While phase one was initially due to go live in 2027, followed by phases two and three in 2028 and 2029, the company now expects phase two to begin operation in 2027 and phase three in 2028.
Last month, TEMC CNS, a South Korean semiconductor materials and equipment supplier, signed a ₩14.5 billion (roughly $10 million) contract with SK Hynix to supply a central chemical supply system on a turnkey basis. The total deal is valued at ₩48.4 billion (roughly $33 million).
SK Hynix also recently completed a M16 fabrication plant in Icheon, a large DRAM production facility that introduced extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography to the company’s manufacturing portfolio.