Samsung Electronics is preparing a two-pronged expansion to meet demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM), a key component of artificial intelligence accelerators, led by the Samsung Kairos project. On one side are 2-nanometer and 4-nanometer fabs at the historic Giheung campus; on the other, a new HBM packaging plant in Onyang, whose groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for November 12.
Project Kairos: 2nm and 4nm in Giheung
According to the Seoul Economic Daily, citing industry sources, Samsung has decided to build advanced 2nm and 4nm foundry fabs on the sites of the former Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SR5) and the engineering college building (CDI) at the Giheung campus in Yongin, South Korea. Demolition of both buildings was completed in October. Samsung E&A would handle engineering, procurement and construction for the complex, which would include the main Kairos building, a green building and a substation.
The driver is HBM: Samsung already produces the core dies for HBM4, the sixth generation, in Hwaseong and Pyeongtaek, but the base dies, made with the 4nm process, come from only a few lines at those campuses. With the new fabs in Giheung, base-die capacity for the Samsung Kairos project would grow alongside core-die output. The industry expects Samsung's HBM supply volume to grow by an average of 52% a year through 2028.
The Kairos fab would be built in four phases, like the Pyeongtaek plant. The task force also plans to convert part of Line 6 into an advanced packaging facility. The 2nm line prepares the ground for HBM5, the eighth generation: the base dies for HBM4 and HBM4E, slated for mass production next year, use the 4nm process, while the HBM5 base die is likely to use the finer 2nm process.
The estimated investment is around 25 trillion won (about US$18 billion), including 8 to 10 trillion won for dozens of EUV lithography machines. With the Line 6 conversion, the total could reach 30 trillion won.
Onyang: a new HBM packaging plant
In parallel, Samsung will build a new semiconductor packaging plant at the Onyang campus in Asan. The groundbreaking ceremony is expected on November 12, with Samsung chairman Jay Y. Lee and other senior executives expected to attend. The facility, called Onyang Plant No. 5, will focus on HBM packaging.
The project is part of a larger 113 trillion won investment plan to develop the Chungcheong region into a technology and semiconductor hub, of which 46 trillion won will go to HBM packaging facilities over the coming years. The Onyang campus has operated since 1991 and currently handles semiconductor testing and quality checks; with the new plant, its total floor space should grow by about 56%, from 270,000 to 420,000 square meters.
Why HBM has become a priority
HBM stacks memory chips to deliver the bandwidth AI accelerators need to move data between processor and memory. As the global race for AI infrastructure accelerates, advanced packaging — the step that assembles several chips into a single package — has become an industry bottleneck, as Reuters reported this week.
What is still unconfirmed
It is important to separate what has been announced from what has been reported: Samsung has not officially confirmed the Samsung Kairos project, and the investment figures are estimates from industry sources cited by the Seoul Economic Daily. There is also no official confirmation of production start dates or wafer capacity. The Onyang plant has a scheduled ceremony, but details of its construction timeline have not yet been disclosed.
Image credit: the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SR5) building at the Giheung campus, in a Samsung Electronics photo published by the Seoul Economic Daily. The site is where the Kairos fab is reported to be built.
Sources
Seoul Economic Daily — Samsung to Build Advanced Foundry Fab at Giheung Campus
SammyGuru — Samsung's Giheung campus to get 2nm and 4nm foundry fabs
SammyFans — Samsung's plan to boost HBM production with new Asan plant
Geekiki — Empacotamento avançado de chips vira o novo campo de batalha da IA
Transparency: this article was produced with the assistance of artificial intelligence, cross-checking public posts and internet sources. Information about Project Kairos comes from industry sources cited by the Seoul Economic Daily and has not yet been officially confirmed by Samsung; please consult the original sources to verify the details before making any decision.
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