Lisa Su Asks Samsung to Boost HBM4 Output, Leaves Door Open to Foundry Cooperation

AMD Chief Executive Officer Lisa Su asked Samsung Electronics Co. to expand supplies of high-bandwidth memory, or HBM, and left open the possibility of broader foundry cooperation. As demand for artificial intelligence chips rises, AMD plans to reinforce its medium- to long-term supply chain strategy with South Korean partners.

Su met for about three hours on Oct. 7 at Samsung Electronics' Seocho office in Seoul with Jun Young-hyun, head of the company's Device Solutions division and a vice chairman, along with other senior executives. Afterward, she told reporters the talks were constructive and that AMD would work with Samsung across "a very wide range of areas." She added that the two companies maintain a broad foundry relationship.

A main reason for her visit was tight memory supply. After attending AMD Gamer Day in Yongsan, Seoul, Su underscored the importance of South Korea's ecosystem from both supply and partnership perspectives. She said companies need to plan with partners three to five years ahead to navigate increasingly complex supply chains.

Su said she was satisfied with Samsung's sixth-generation HBM, HBM4, and had asked the company to ramp up mass production. Samsung is the primary supplier of HBM4 for AMD's next-generation AI accelerator, the Instinct MI455X. She said the HBM partnership would extend across multiple generations rather than stop at one.

The industry is also watching whether the two companies make progress on foundry cooperation as memory supply expands. With TSMC's advanced-process capacity effectively full, there is speculation that AMD could broaden its manufacturing partnership with Samsung. Still, no specific foundry contract or production volume was disclosed from the meeting.