Micron Eyes Malaysia for HBM3E Manufacturing, US for R&D
Micron previously stated that by 2025, they aim to secure 20% to 25% of the HBM market share, striving to elevate it to a level comparable to traditional DRAM. Although Micron did not elaborate on the specific methods to achieve this goal, further capacity expansion is inevitable.
According to media reports, in addition to expanding production capacity in Japan and Taiwan, Micron is also considering manufacturing HBM3E in Malaysia and strengthening its R&D operations in the United States. Given that Micron’s HBM capacity through 2025 has already been reserved by customers, the construction of new factories has become imperative.
Micron has packaging and testing facilities in Malaysia, making the construction of a new DRAM factory in this region feasible. Malaysia boasts a relatively mature semiconductor supply chain, with Intel and AMD having packaging facilities there. However, industry insiders suggest that Micron is unlikely to produce DRAM chips in Malaysia due to the significant time and financial investments required. It is more plausible that they will establish an assembly line for HBM3E.
Currently, Micron’s largest HBM production base is in Taichung, where they not only produce DRAM chips but also handle assembly, packaging, and testing. Micron plans to further enhance the capacity of this facility, although specific plans are not yet clear. Additionally, Micron will construct a new DRAM factory in Hiroshima, Japan. This new facility, located near the existing Fab 15, is slated to begin construction in early 2026, with the main building and the installation of the first batch of tools expected to be completed by the end of 2027, excluding backend packaging and testing. Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment will be installed to produce DRAM chips using the 1-gamma (1γ) process, with a future transition to the 1-delta process.
Furthermore, Micron is building a new DRAM factory in Boise, Idaho, and expanding its R&D facilities to prepare for HBM4. This will be the first new DRAM factory built in the United States in 20 years and the largest private investment project in Idaho’s history.
