[Jeonseungmin's Science World] Now It's Time to Turn Attention to AI Semiconductors

As the semiconductor supply shortage prolongs, the stock price of Taiwan's foundry company TSMC (a company that manufactures chips based on designs provided by others) has soared to unprecedented heights. TSMC currently holds the top position in the foundry sector. Although it trails Samsung Electronics in total sales, it recorded revenue of 491.076 billion Taiwanese dollars (approximately 21.1408 trillion Korean won) in the first quarter alone. This figure represents a 35.5% jump compared to the first quarter of last year.

A semiconductor is a material whose electrical conductivity is intermediate between conductors like copper and insulators such as rubber. Its conductivity changes depending on applied voltage, heat, or light wavelength. It can be made so that electricity flows in one direction but not the other. Generally, semiconductors are made by introducing impurities into silicon crystals. The term "semiconductor" often refers to the precision-processed chipset made using such devices.

Semiconductors have long become essential resources like petroleum, coal, and steel. One reason the world supports Taiwan, which is at odds with China, is its outstanding semiconductor production capacity. If semiconductor supply from Taiwanese companies were to halt immediately, industrial bases in IT-advanced countries such as the United States and Europe would be shaken. Semiconductors have already become the foundation that determines national competitiveness. However, the global production network, shaken by the COVID-19 pandemic, shows no signs of recovery. Pat Gelsinger, CEO of Intel, warned, "The semiconductor equipment supply issue continues," adding, "The semiconductor shortage could last until 2024."

To overcome this wave, companies worldwide are racing to make efforts. On the 1st, the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics & Trade released a report titled "Global Semiconductor Supply Chain Restructuring Movements and Policy Implications," forecasting that the global semiconductor supply chain will be reorganized around 2025. According to the report, semiconductor production is expected to increase in the United States, Europe, and Japan, while dependence on Asian regions such as Taiwan and Korea will decrease, naturally restructuring the global semiconductor supply chain. This phenomenon arises as countries expand their production systems to overcome the semiconductor shortage. For Korea, which has maintained its national industrial base significantly through semiconductor competitiveness, this is not very welcome news.

To prepare for such a situation, the best approach is to secure overwhelming technological capabilities through national research and development (R&D). Korea's semiconductor industry has mainly focused on memory semiconductors and foundry semiconductor production. Now that each country is expanding its semiconductor production capacity, we need to look ahead to the next stage. It is time to turn our attention to advanced semiconductor fields that have not been previously explored, such as semiconductors for artificial intelligence (AI) systems expected to be the foundation of the Fourth Industrial Revolution era, high-performance memory semiconductors suitable for these, and control semiconductors optimized for operating robot systems. However, this trend is not prominent in the domestic semiconductor industry, making urgent countermeasures necessary.

It takes at least several years for basic research achievements to translate into industrial applications. Even if we start immediately, time is not abundant. The government must support related research at universities and national research institutes to quickly enhance national competitiveness, and companies must swiftly prepare for the practical application of next-generation semiconductors. The success or failure of the next-generation semiconductor market in the coming years depends on how thoroughly preparations are made.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.