As the global competition to secure artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductors reaches its peak, major global big tech companies are reportedly offering SK hynix unprecedented terms of collaboration. These proposals go far beyond simply purchasing chips—they include building entire production lines worth several trillion won, or even paying for advanced equipment worth hundreds of billions of won on SK hynix's behalf.

According to foreign media and the semiconductor industry on May 8, major global big tech companies have recently proposed direct investments to SK hynix to establish exclusive memory production lines, as well as financial support for purchasing extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment from ASML in the Netherlands. Each EUV machine is an ultra-high-cost piece of equipment, with prices ranging from 300 billion to 500 billion won, and it is a key technology for advanced memory manufacturing processes.

In the past, buyers held the upper hand in the memory industry, often pushing down prices. However, the situation has been completely reversed due to the AI boom and the resulting shortage of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and DRAM. A source explained, "Currently, SK hynix's available production capacity is essentially zero. Since there is no spare capacity to allocate for specific customers, big tech companies are leveraging their financial strength to offer direct support."

Notably, some of the latest proposals reportedly include equity investments and facility support for the first phase of the large-scale fab SK hynix is building at its Yongin semiconductor cluster.

SK hynix Yongin Cluster view. Provided by SK hynix

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Despite these bold offers, SK hynix is said to be maintaining a "cautious" stance. With ample cash reserves on hand, the company is concerned that hastily accepting funding from a particular company could leave it hostage to supply commitments for that company in the future.

SK hynix has not disclosed specific details about its contract terms with customers but stated, "We are comprehensively reviewing a variety of approaches and structural alternatives that differ from traditional long-term contracts."

An industry insider commented, "If you build lines with a customer's money, you may ultimately have to lower chip prices in the long run, or you could be tied to exclusive supply contracts that require you to deliver only to specific companies if the market situation changes." The insider noted that SK hynix is carefully weighing the maximization of profitability against risk diversification.

Some interpret this situation as a sign that the fundamental practices of the memory semiconductor industry are being reshaped. Whereas the memory sector has historically been a highly cyclical industry with volatile prices, it is now entering a phase of long-term stability driven by the structural growth of AI.

In fact, SK hynix and Samsung Electronics have recently been signing "multi-year supply contracts" with customers, strengthening "binding" terms that make cancellations impossible—a marked change from the past. New contract structures being discussed include: ▲ an "advance payment model," where 30-40% of the total amount is received upfront; and ▲ a "price band system," which sets both upper and lower price limits to restrict price fluctuations.