 | |
Native name | 에스케이하이닉스 주식회사 |
|---|---|
| Formerly |
|
| Company type | Public |
| KRX:000660 | |
| Industry | Semiconductor |
| Founded | 15 October 1949; 75 years ago (1949-10-15) (legal) 26 February 1983; 42 years ago (1983-02-26) (actual) |
| Founder | Chung Ju-yung |
| Headquarters | , South Korea |
| Products | DRAM, NAND flash |
| Revenue |  ₩32.77 trillion (2023) |
| −₩7.73 trillion (2023) | |
| −₩9.14 trillion (2023) | |
| Total assets | ₩100.33 trillion (2023) |
| Total equity | ₩53.50 trillion (2023) |
| Parent | SK Group (2003-Current)Hyundai Group (1983-2003) |
| Website | skhynix.com |
| Footnotes / references [1] | |
SK Hynix Inc. (Korean:에스케이하이닉스 주식회사) is a South Korean supplier ofdynamic random-access memory (DRAM) chips andflash memory chips. SK Hynix is one of the world's largest semiconductor vendors.[2][3]
Founded as Hyundai Electronics in 1983, SK Hynix was integrated into theSK Group in 2012 following a series of mergers, acquisitions, and restructuring efforts. After being incorporated into the SK Group, SK Hynix became a major affiliate alongsideSK Innovation andSK Telecom.[4]
The company's major customers includeMicrosoft,Apple,[5]Asus,Dell,MSI,HP Inc., andHewlett Packard Enterprise (formerlyHewlett-Packard).[2] Other products that use Hynix memory includeDVD players,cellular phones,set-top boxes,personal digital assistants, networking equipment, andhard disk drives.[6]
Hyundai Electronics was founded in 1983 byChung Ju-yung, the founder ofHyundai Group. In the early 1980s, Chung recognized the growing importance of electronics in the automobile industry, one of Hyundai's primary business areas. He saw the potential for Hyundai to expand beyond its core operations in automobiles, shipbuilding, and heavy industries and wanted to establish a presence in the promising electronics industry. The company's primary focus was on semiconductor production and industrial electronics.
Hyundai had to pay a very high entry price to set up an efficient production system and to stabilize theyield rate compared to its rival Samsung, who at least had prior experience in semiconductor manufacturing. Hyundai's decision to produceSRAMs was later proven to be a mistake, as the technological sophistication of SRAMs made it difficult for Hyundai to achieve a satisfactory yield rate. In 1985, Hyundai altered its strategy for DRAM manufacturing by subcontracting from foreign firms and importing their chip designs, as it had lost time developing its own chips. Hyundai's DRAM chip, produced by importingVitelic Corporation's design and technology, again failed in mass production due to a low yield rate.
Hyundai's approach to manufacturing memory chips as a foundry for foreign firms underOEM agreements was successful. The OEM agreements betweenGeneral Instruments andTexas Instruments were helpful to Hyundai, which was facing technological and financial difficulties. By 1992, Hyundai had become the world's ninth DRAM manufacturer, and by 1995, it ranked among the world's top 20 semiconductor manufacturing companies. In 1996, Hyundai acquiredMaxtor, a U.S.-based disk-drive manufacturer.[7][8][9]
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GoldStar, which later becameLG Electronics, entered the semiconductor business by acquiring a small company fromTaihan Electric Wire in 1979. The company was subsequently renamed GoldStar Semiconductor. LG Semicon was established as Goldstar Electron in 1983 by merging the semiconductor operations of Goldstar Electronics and Goldstar Semiconductors. In 1990, Goldstar Electron commenced operations at Cheongju Plant I, followed by the completion of Cheongju Plant II in 1994. The company underwent a name change to LG Semicon in 1995. LG Semicon operated from three sites, including Seoul,Cheongju, andGumi.[10][8]
During the1997 Asian financial crisis, the South Korean government initiated the restructuring of the nation's five major conglomerates, including their semiconductor businesses. Among fivechaebols, Samsung, LG, and Hyundai were engaged in the semiconductor business. Samsung was exempt from the restructuring due to its competitive position in the global market. However, LG and Hyundai were pressured by the government to merge, as both companies faced significant losses during the semiconductor recession of early 1996. In 1998, Hyundai Electronics acquired LG Semicon for US$2.1 billion, positioning itself in direct competition withMicron Technology. Subsequently, LG Semicon was rebranded as Hyundai Semiconductor and later merged with Hyundai Electronics.[11][12][13]
Although theSouth Korean government aimed to merge the two companies to alleviate the supply glut in the global market, competition in the semiconductor industry had intensified. Hyundai faced near collapse during the chip industry's downturn in 2001, when global memory chip prices dropped by 80 percent, resulting in a 5 trillionwon annual loss for the company. Creditor banks, many of them under government control at the time, intervened to provide assistance.[14]
In 2001, Hyundai Electronics rebranded as Hynix Semiconductor, aportmanteau of "high" and "electronics". Alongside this change, Hynix began selling or spinning off business units to recover from a cash squeeze.[15] Hynix separated several business units, including Hyundai Curitel, a mobile phone manufacturer;[16] Hyundai SysComm, a CDMA mobile communication chip maker;[17] Hyundai Autonet, a car navigation system producer;[18] ImageQuest, a flat panel display company;[19] and its TFT-LCD unit,[20] among others. The divestiture was part of a bailout plan requested by the major creditor,Korea Development Bank, to provide fresh funds to the insolvent semiconductor maker.[21]
In 2003, Hyundai Group affiliates, includingHyundai Merchant Marine,Hyundai Heavy Industries,Hyundai Elevator, andChung Mong-hun, the chairman of Hyundai Asan, consented to forfeit their voting rights and sell their stakes in Hynix.[22] Hynix was then formally spun-off from the Hyundai Group in August 2003.[23]
The Hynix creditors, includingKorea Exchange Bank,Woori Bank,Shinhan Bank andKorea Finance Corporation, attempted to sell their stake in Hynix several times but failed.[24][25][26] Korean companies such asHyosung,Dongbu CNI, and former stakeholders, including Hyundai Heavy Industries and LG, were considered potential bidders but were either denied or withdrew from the bidding.[27] In July 2011,SK Telecom, the nation's largest telecommunication company, andSTX Group officially entered the bid.[28] STX dropped its deal in September 2011, leaving SK Telecom as the sole bidder. In the end, SK acquired Hynix for US$3 billion in February 2012.[29][30][31] As Hynix was incorporated intoSK Group, its name was changed to SK Hynix.[32]
In 2021, Hynix acquiredIntel's NAND business for $9 billion, resulting in the establishment of Solidigm.[33][34][35]
SK hynix, September 26, 2024, said it has begun mass production of 12-layer high bandwidth memory (HBM) chips, the first in the world.[36]
As of December 2023
| Shareholder | Stake (%) | Flag |
|---|---|---|
| SK Square | 20.07% |  |
| National Pension Service | 7.90% | |
SK Hynix has production facilities inIcheon andCheongju, South Korea, and inWuxi,Chongqing andDalian,China.[37]
Hynix produces a variety of semiconductor memories, including:
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