Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix occupied a combined share of 70 percent last year in the world DRAM market, which is the highest record in history. Samsung Electronics maintained an immovable first place and SK Hynix hardened into second place, leaving other competitors far behind.
According to market research institute IHS on April 9, Samsung Electronics recorded 40 percent market share last year in the DRAM market. SK Hynix ranked second with a 27.4 percent share, and Micron and Elpida ranked third with 24.6 percent. U.S.-based Micron is fiercely chasing SK Hynix with its strength in the mobile DRAM market after merging with Japanese company Elpida.
The combined market share of Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix in the DRAM market was 67.7, close to 70 percent. This is the highest market share ever recorded since 2001. By quarter, the combined market share of Samsung and SK recorded 70.4 percent in the fourth quarter last year (based on DRAM exchange).
Elpida is a Japanese semiconductor company that was established through a merger between NEC and the DRAM division of Hitachi in 2000. It consolidated with Mitsubishi in 2003 and was taken over by the American semiconductor company Micron July in 2012 after requesting bankruptcy protection the same year.
In 2013, SK Hynix fell behind Micron and Elpida (28.3 percent) with a 26.8 percent market share, but it recorded 27.4 percent last year, beating Micron and Elpida with a difference of 2.8 percent.