SK hynix raising $26.5 billion in US listing
TechnologyComments
Strategic hoarding is one thing, but these fabs need massive amounts of water and power. Local grids are already struggling to keep up with basic residential growth, let alone a 26 billion dollar industrial expansion.
listing for capital doesn't solve the hbm3e yield issues.
Yield optimization in High Bandwidth Memory requires immense R&D expenditure on new packaging techniques, such as hybrid bonding. This capital influx is likely earmarked for the transition to next-generation nodes where the failure rate is currently the primary bottleneck.
The 2021 semiconductor crunch proved that just-in-time manufacturing is a liability for critical infrastructure. This pivot toward US-based capital and production mirrors the strategic hoarding patterns we saw during the early pandemic years.