37th Hankyung CEO Jeju Summer Forum Lecture
"Attention Needed for Companies Leading Advanced Packaging"
The 'chiplet' technology, which involves manufacturing semiconductor chips separately by function and then combining them into one, is expected to dominate the semiconductor industry in the future. Domestically, SK Hynix, and internationally, Tenstorrent are anticipated to stand out in this field.
Professor Shin Chang-hwan of Korea University is attending the '2024 Hankyung CEO Jeju Summer Forum' held at Lotte Hotel Jeju on the 11th, presenting on the topic of 'Advanced Semiconductor Technology and Changes in the Semiconductor Industry Landscape.' [Photo by Hankyung]
On the 11th, Professor Shin Chang-hwan of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Korea University stated at the '2024 Korea Economic Association CEO Jeju Summer Forum' held at Lotte Hotel Jeju in Seogwipo, Jeju Island, "In chiplet and advanced packaging technologies, SK Hynix stands out domestically, while Tenstorrent leads internationally." He has previously served as an outside director of SK Hynix.
The topic of Professor Shin's lecture was 'Advanced Semiconductor Technology and Changes in the Semiconductor Industry Landscape.' He explained that semiconductor companies in the past tried to integrate all functions into a single chip but faced physical limitations. The 'chiplet' technology, which divides various functions into multiple chips and then connects and attaches these chips, has gained attention among companies. This market is expected to grow rapidly in the near future. Professor Shin noted, "NVIDIA has its proprietary chiplet technology called 'NVLink' that connects multiple chips, and several startups are also engaged in related businesses."
Right after the lecture, when asked which company would lead the chiplet field in the future, Professor Shin answered, "Domestically, SK Hynix; internationally, Tenstorrent." He advised paying attention to SK Hynix among domestic chiplet companies.
He explained, "With the rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI), a market where 'customer-tailored' memory providers become winners has opened. SK Hynix is a 'memory' company mainly supplying general-purpose products but recognized early the importance of customer-specific packaging technology, becoming a supplier specialized in customized memory business for customers."
Among overseas companies, he emphasized the need to watch Tenstorrent. This startup was founded by Jim Keller, a legendary engineer who has been responsible for chip designs at Intel, AMD, Apple, and Tesla. Professor Shin said, "We should pay attention to fabless (design) companies like Tenstorrent that connect the same chips."
Professor Shin also mentioned that it remains to be seen whether Intel in the U.S. can achieve mass production of 2nm (nanometer; 1nm = one billionth of a meter) chips in the second half of the year as promised. He assessed, "Intel has recently made several mistakes and broken promises to customers, becoming a 'boy who cried wolf.' Whether 2nm manufacturing mass production will happen by the end of the year remains to be seen."
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