SK Hynix Discusses First US Memory Chip Manufacturing Deal With Intel
SK Hynix has discussed producing memory chips in the US with Intel, a first for the South Korean company.
Two possible structures are on the table. SK Hynix could lease capacity at Intel’s planned Ohio site or form a venture that also brings cloud companies into the deal.
The talks are still at an early stage, and SK Hynix said nothing has been finalized. Intel declined to address the discussions but said it continues preparing the Ohio site for future production.
Ohio enters the memory race
Intel shares rose 5% in Wednesday’s premarket trading, while SK Hynix’s Nasdaq-listed shares gained about 2%. AI data-center demand has strained memory-chip supplies and pushed prices higher.
A deal would give Intel a major outside manufacturing customer as CEO Lip-Bu Tan works to turn its foundry business into a credible alternative for global chipmakers.
The Ohio complex is central to that push, but delays have weakened the original pitch. Its two plants are now expected to open in 2030 and 2031.
SK Hynix would bring something Intel badly needs: a foothold in one of AI’s most important markets. The company is a leading supplier of high-bandwidth memory, the chips that feed data to Nvidia’s AI processors.
Seoul could set limits
Any plan involving advanced memory could face review in South Korea if the technology is deemed strategically sensitive. That adds another layer of uncertainty to talks already involving complex manufacturing and financing decisions.
SK Hynix is building a $3.8B advanced-packaging and research facility in West Lafayette, Indiana. The plant will turn South Korean-made DRAM wafers into finished HBM products, while a deal in Ohio could bring wafer production itself onto US soil.
Micron remains the only major producer among the largest memory companies making silicon wafers in the US. Its rivals have largely directed their American investments toward packaging, research, development, and processors.
No details have been finalized, but the talks still carry weight. AI memory demand has grown strong enough to bring Intel, SK Hynix, cloud companies, Washington, and Seoul to the same table.