Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are enhancing their collaboration with global semiconductor companies to maintain their leadership in next-generation memory technology. They are not just securing the latest equipment but are actively participating in technology development and standard-setting. This shift indicates that the competition to maintain a memory advantage is expanding from individual manufacturing capabilities to the entire global semiconductor ecosystem.
Samsung has joined a large mask consortium led by ASML to expand the existing 6-inch photomask, which is used to engrave circuit patterns on wafers, to 12 inches. At the same time, it is pursuing the application of high-NA EUV technology for advanced DRAM mass production by 2028, becoming the first in the industry to do so. SK Hynix is also aiming to apply high-NA EUV for DRAM mass production in 2028 and is considering joining the 12-inch mask consortium.
High-NA EUV is a next-generation lithography technology that can create finer circuits than existing EUV. Combining this with large masks can enhance productivity and reduce manufacturing costs. ASML and TSMC plan to establish a pilot production line for 12-inch masks by 2031 and prepare for full-scale production by 2033. Samsung and SK Hynix's early participation in this process signifies more than just equipment acquisition; it indicates their intention to play a leading role in shaping the standards and specifications for semiconductor manufacturing in the future.
It is clear that South Korea's semiconductor industry possesses world-class manufacturing competitiveness. The accumulated process technology and mass production experience in memory fields such as DRAM and HBM are difficult to replicate. However, given China's rapid advancements, complacency is not an option. Chinese memory companies like CXMT and YMTC are quickly enhancing their production capacity and technological capabilities, backed by substantial government support. While a technological gap still exists between South Korea and China, the latter's ability to build competitiveness based on its vast domestic market is a cause for concern.
Moreover, the nature of semiconductor competition is changing. In the AI era, simply producing high-quality memory is no longer sufficient to maintain competitiveness. Advanced lithography equipment, materials and components, design, foundry, advanced packaging, and software must be interconnected within a single ecosystem. Collaboration with big tech companies developing AI semiconductors is now essential rather than optional.
In the future, companies must go beyond merely supplying HBM and next-generation memory demanded by big tech; they need to collaborate from the early stages of product development, jointly designing new memory and packaging technologies. They must evolve from a customer-supplier relationship to become partners in technology development.
The government must also actively support our companies to position themselves at the center of global cooperation networks through research and development and talent cultivation. It is urgent to streamline regulations to ensure domestic investments do not lag. While the government cannot create competitiveness for companies, it is responsible for creating an environment where they can compete.
The memory advantage is not an eternal right. Technology changes rapidly, and competitors are constantly emerging. The methods for maintaining this advantage must also evolve. Samsung and SK Hynix must maintain their world-leading manufacturing competitiveness while closely connecting with global leaders like ASML, TSMC, and big tech to shape the direction of technology together. Companies that collaborate to define technological pathways will outlast those that try to lead alone.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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