In a strategic move to augment its DRAM memory production capabilities, SK Hynix has reportedly ordered key equipment from upstream device companies, targeting an expansion at its M16 wafer fabrication facility located in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. The M16 fab currently boasts a monthly production capacity of approximately 100,000 12-inch wafers for DRAM memory chips.

Divergent reports from South Korean media, including the Seoul Economic Daily and Chosun Ilbo, provide slightly varying estimates for the scale of the expansion. The Seoul Economic Daily suggests a minimum increase of 70,000 wafers per month, with a possibility of 80,000, while the Chosun Ilbo estimates the increase to be between 80,000 to 100,000 wafers monthly.

In contrast to Samsung, which has substantial vacant space at its Pyeongtaek facility, SK Hynix's avenues for increasing DRAM production capacity before the completion of the Cheongju M15X fab in November 2025 are limited to maximizing the remaining space at the Icheon M16 and M14 fabs and upgrading the manufacturing processes.

The Seoul Economic Daily also reports that SK Hynix is aiming to complete laboratory testing for the next-generation 1c nm DRAM memory by the end of this month, with plans to initiate trial production in the second quarter of 2025 and to commence the installation of relevant equipment at the Cheongju M16 fab by the end of next year. This initiative underscores SK Hynix's commitment to advancing its semiconductor technology and production prowess.