SK Hynix has chosen to withdraw from the image sensor market for smartphones and digital cameras to focus on AI memory. The company stated that its CMOS image sensor (CIS) division will be integrated into its AI memory operations, with staff transitioning to high-bandwidth memory (HBM) teams.
During a recent internal meeting, SK Hynix emphasized that the AI era has arrived and highlighted its strong performance in the AI memory sector. The South Korean chipmaker is now fully committed to advancing premium AI memory products as it moves away from the image sensor market.
SK Hynix stated that exiting the image sensor market would allow it to strengthen its focus on AI memory and lead as a “full-stack AI memory provider,” offering a wide range of AI-focused memory solutions. The company emphasized that this strategic shift is crucial for maintaining its competitiveness in the rapidly expanding AI industry.
The South Korean chipmaker initially entered the CMOS image sensor (CIS) market in 2007 and expanded its presence by acquiring SiliconFile Technologies the following year. In 2019, it established a dedicated CIS research and development center in Japan and introduced its own image sensor brand, Black Pearl. However, despite these efforts, the business struggled with low profitability due to declining smartphone demand and stiff competition from industry leaders like Sony and Samsung.
SK Hynix explained that the expertise and technology from its CIS unit would be redirected to strengthen its AI memory business. Hundreds of employees from the image sensor division will be reassigned to teams working on high-bandwidth memory (HBM), a key component in AI servers and advanced computing. The company sees this move as a critical step toward becoming a global leader in AI-driven semiconductors.
As a major supplier of HBM to Nvidia, SK Hynix is one of the leading providers in the AI memory market. The company recently announced plans to accelerate the launch of its 12-layer HBM4 chips, delivering them to Nvidia six months earlier than originally scheduled in early 2026.Â
While the company has acknowledged the contributions of its image sensor business, it believes shifting resources to AI memory will yield greater long-term growth.
A CMOS image sensor (CIS) is a semiconductor that converts light into digital images and is commonly used in smartphones, digital cameras, and security systems. SK Hynix had placed its CIS business under the Future Technology Lab in its year-end restructuring last year, signaling a shift toward research-focused initiatives. Despite this, CEO Kwak Noh-jung had previously supported continuing the image sensor unit before the decision to exit.
The company believes that the expertise gained from its CIS operations, particularly in logic semiconductor design and customized product development, will enhance its AI memory chip capabilities. SK Hynix reiterated its goal of becoming a full-stack AI memory provider, leveraging its advanced semiconductor technologies to drive innovation in AI-driven computing.
