{"id":1811,"date":"2024-09-25T06:00:48","date_gmt":"2024-09-25T06:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost:8080\/semiconductor-101-sk-hynix-on-where-chips-are-made-and-used\/"},"modified":"2026-08-21T15:59:27","modified_gmt":"2026-08-21T06:59:27","slug":"semiconductor-101-sk-hynix-on-where-chips-are-made-and-used","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.skhynix.com\/en\/semiconductor-101-sk-hynix-on-where-chips-are-made-and-used\/","title":{"rendered":"[Semiconductor 101] \u201cWhere\u201d in the World Are Semiconductors Made and Applied? SK hynix Reveals All"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"post-intro\"><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 18px;\">Imagine a world without smartphones, computers, or the internet. It would be unthinkable for many to live without these essentials, but that would be the case without the engine behind these technologies and many others\u2014semiconductors. Despite the prevalence of these chips, their origins, usage, significance and more are still not widely known. Across six episodes, the Semiconductor 101 series will cover the <strong>who, what, when, where, why, and how<\/strong> of semiconductors to introduce the fundamentals of this crucial technology. <\/span><\/div>\n<p>Much of the semiconductor world remains unseen. The chips themselves are the hidden force behind modern technologies, while few have seen inside the facilities where these advanced devices are painstakingly crafted. To shed light on where semiconductors are made and used, this latest episode of the Semiconductor 101 series takes an inside look into the facilities and regions that produce these chips, as well as the main applications of semiconductors.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-15889 size-full\" title=\"[Semiconductor 101] \"Where\" in the World Are Semiconductors Made and Applied? SK hynix Reveals All\" src=\"https:\/\/d18r0a86za96sg.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/27144451\/SK-hynix_Semiconductor-101-4-Where_011.png\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" alt=\"[Semiconductor 101] \"Where\" in the World Are Semiconductors Made and Applied? SK hynix Reveals All\" width=\"1000\" height=\"588\" \/><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<div style=\"display: inline-block; max-width: 748px; width: 100%; text-align: left;\">\n<div style=\"height: 2px; background: #666666; margin-bottom: 6px;\"><\/div>\n<h3 class=\"sub-title\" style=\"margin: 0; line-height: 1.4;\">Where are semiconductors manufactured?<\/h3>\n<div style=\"height: 2px; background: #666666; margin-top: 6px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>As shown in the <a href=\"https:\/\/news.skhynix.com\/semiconductor-101-sk-hynix-guide-to-key-industry-players\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">first Semiconductor 101 article<\/span><\/a>, various companies operate facilities which handle different aspects of the semiconductor manufacturing process. While there are a range of these facilities, the following are three of the most common types for each stage of the manufacturing process:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 20px;\"><strong>Wafer manufacturing facility: <\/strong>Companies such as SK siltron, Sumco, and Shin-Etsu Chemical produce silicon wafers that act as the substrate, or foundation, for semiconductor devices. Crucial steps in wafer production take place at these facilities, including purifying the sourced silicon, slicing the purified silicon into thin wafers, and polishing. These wafers undergo further processing steps such as doping<sup style=\"color: #ff0000;\">* <\/sup> to deliver desired features and structures before they are supplied to fabs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 20px;\"><strong>Fabrication plant (Fab):<\/strong> A fab is a specialized, highly secure facility which manufactures semiconductor devices such as integrated circuits<sup style=\"color: #ff0000;\">* <\/sup>. In other words, fabs handle the front-end semiconductor manufacturing process. They must therefore contain advanced equipment to conduct key processes including oxidation, photolithography, etching, and deposition.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 20px;\"><strong>Assembly and test facility:<\/strong> These facilities are responsible for the back-end manufacturing process, which essentially consists of packaging and testing. While packaging involves protecting the chip from damage and building mechanical and electrical connections, testing ensures a product\u2019s quality and reliability. These facilities are generally run by OSAT<sup style=\"color: #ff0000;\">* <\/sup> companies, which receive fabricated wafers from customers and turn them into finished semiconductor products.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-15804 size-full\" title=\"Various facilities are responsible for different aspects of the semiconductor manufacturing process\" src=\"https:\/\/d18r0a86za96sg.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/27144457\/SK-hynix_Semiconductor-101-4-Where_02.png\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" alt=\"Various facilities are responsible for different aspects of the semiconductor manufacturing process\" width=\"1000\" height=\"682\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"caption\">\u25b2 Various facilities are responsible for different aspects of the semiconductor manufacturing process<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<div style=\"display: inline-block; max-width: 748px; width: 100%; text-align: left;\">\n<div style=\"height: 2px; background: #666666; margin-bottom: 6px;\"><\/div>\n<h3 class=\"sub-title\" style=\"margin: 0; line-height: 1.4;\">Where in the world are different types of semiconductors designed and manufactured?<\/h3>\n<div style=\"height: 2px; background: #666666; margin-top: 6px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The global semiconductor supply chain is spread across various regions that each specialize in one or a few stages of the design and manufacturing process. As a result, semiconductor chips are generally not made in a single location or country, but instead must be shipped across the world to be finished.<\/p>\n<p>In terms of design, which involves defining the product requirements and the physical layout of the individual circuits, the U.S. leads the way\u2014particularly for advanced logic chips. Meanwhile, the latter manufacturing stages are dominated by East Asian countries. As different nations specialize in certain types of chips, let\u2019s look at where three common semiconductor types are manufactured around the world based on a report from the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA)<sup style=\"color: #ff0000;\">* <\/sup>.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 20px;\"><strong>Memory: <\/strong>Boasting leading semiconductor memory companies including SK hynix, <strong>South Korea<\/strong> heads the memory field in terms of production capacity. The nation commands a majority share of DRAM fabrication capacity, well ahead of its nearest rivals. South Korea is also the joint leading producer of NAND flash<sup style=\"color: #ff0000;\">* <\/sup>, alongside <strong>Japan<\/strong>, where companies like Kioxia play a major role.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 20px;\"><strong>Logic:<\/strong> <strong>Taiwan<\/strong> is the undisputed worldwide leader of logic semiconductor<sup style=\"color: #ff0000;\">* <\/sup> production thanks largely to the global behemoth of semiconductor fabrication, TSMC. Taiwan holds a 69% share of manufacturing capacity for logic wafers under 10 nanometers (nm), and also leads the way for those measuring between 10 nm and 22 nm. Only <strong>China <\/strong>has a bigger market share in logic semiconductors that are larger than 28 nm.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 20px;\"><strong>Discrete, analog, and other (DAO):<\/strong> These chips that serve various applications are manufactured all over the world. While <strong>Japan <\/strong>and <strong>China <\/strong>produce the most DAO chips with 25% of the market share each, <strong>European countries<\/strong> and <strong>the U.S.<\/strong> also contribute significantly to the global production of these diverse devices.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-15805 size-full\" title=\"Different nations across the world specialize in manufacturing certain semiconductor chips\" src=\"https:\/\/d18r0a86za96sg.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/27144504\/SK-hynix_Semiconductor-101-4-Where_03.png\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" alt=\"Different nations across the world specialize in manufacturing certain semiconductor chips\" width=\"1000\" height=\"618\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"caption\">\u25b2 Different nations across the world specialize in manufacturing certain semiconductor chips<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<div style=\"display: inline-block; max-width: 748px; width: 100%; text-align: left;\">\n<div style=\"height: 2px; background: #666666; margin-bottom: 6px;\"><\/div>\n<h3 class=\"sub-title\" style=\"margin: 0; line-height: 1.4;\">Where is the largest semiconductor memory market?<\/h3>\n<div style=\"height: 2px; background: #666666; margin-top: 6px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>With the explosion of data in the AI era, high-performance memory solutions such as DRAM and NAND flash are becoming increasingly critical to store and process this data. This growing importance is reflected in the projected growth of the global semiconductor memory market from an estimated <a href=\"https:\/\/www.grandviewresearch.com\/horizon\/outlook\/semiconductor-memory-market-size\/global\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">111.6 billion USD in 2023 to 240.6 billion USD by 2030<\/span><\/a>. Breaking the market down by region, a Precedence Research report reveals the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.precedenceresearch.com\/semiconductor-memory-market\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">world\u2019s largest semiconductor memory markets<\/span><\/a> in terms of revenue.<\/p>\n<p>In 2023, <strong>Asia-Pacific<\/strong> was far and away the leader, commanding around 43% of the market. Coming in second is <strong>North America<\/strong> with a 27% share, followed by <strong>Europe <\/strong>with a 22% share. Meanwhile, <strong>Latin America<\/strong> and <strong>Middle East and Africa<\/strong> held a 5% and 2% share of the market, respectively.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-15890 size-full\" title=\"Asia-Pacific is home to the largest semiconductor memory market, followed by North America\" src=\"https:\/\/d18r0a86za96sg.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/27144517\/SK-hynix_Semiconductor-101-4-Where_041.png\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" alt=\"Asia-Pacific is home to the largest semiconductor memory market, followed by North America\" width=\"1000\" height=\"594\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"caption\">\u25b2 Asia-Pacific is home to the largest semiconductor memory market, followed by North America<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<div style=\"display: inline-block; max-width: 748px; width: 100%; text-align: left;\">\n<div style=\"height: 2px; background: #666666; margin-bottom: 6px;\"><\/div>\n<h3 class=\"sub-title\" style=\"margin: 0; line-height: 1.4;\">Where are SK hynix\u2019s semiconductor memory products manufactured in South Korea?<\/h3>\n<div style=\"height: 2px; background: #666666; margin-top: 6px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Currently, SK hynix operates four semiconductor memory production facilities in South Korea. To meet heightened demand for memory products, the company is set to boost its domestic manufacturing capacity by constructing additional sites in the future.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Current Sites<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\nSK hynix operates three fabs at its headquarters in Icheon\u2014M10, M14, and M16. The most recent facility is M16, which was built in 2021 to mainly produce DRAM products. In Cheongju, the company runs a fab called M15 which strengthens the company\u2019s NAND flash business.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Future Sites<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\nScheduled for completion in 2027, the Yongin Semiconductor Cluster will enable SK hynix to boost production of AI memory products. The 4.15 million-square-meter site, the equivalent of around 580 soccer fields, will include four state-of-the-art fabs and a semiconductor cooperation complex. The company will also invest about <a href=\"https:\/\/news.skhynix.com\/sk-hynix-to-produce-dram-from-m15x-in-cheongju\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">5.3 trillion KRW (4 billion USD) for the construction of M15X<\/span><\/a> in Cheongju, enabling it to expand production capacity of next-generation DRAMs including the flagship HBM<sup style=\"color: #ff0000;\">* <\/sup>.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-15807 size-full\" title=\"SK hynix operates DRAM and NAND flash memory production sites in South Korea and plans to build an AI memory facility\" src=\"https:\/\/d18r0a86za96sg.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/27144525\/SK-hynix_Semiconductor-101-4-Where_05.png\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" alt=\"SK hynix operates DRAM and NAND flash memory production sites in South Korea and plans to build an AI memory facility\" width=\"1000\" height=\"752\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"caption\">\u25b2 SK hynix operates DRAM and NAND flash memory production sites in South Korea and plans to build an AI memory facility<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<div style=\"display: inline-block; max-width: 748px; width: 100%; text-align: left;\">\n<div style=\"height: 2px; background: #666666; margin-bottom: 6px;\"><\/div>\n<h3 class=\"sub-title\" style=\"margin: 0; line-height: 1.4;\">Where is semiconductor memory applied today?<\/h3>\n<div style=\"height: 2px; background: #666666; margin-top: 6px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>From the moment you wake up to the morning alarm on your smartphone, semiconductor memory plays a key role in your daily routine. These advanced memory solutions are the foundations for modern technologies which can be found in everyday locations and situations, some examples of which are listed below:<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Home<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\nWhether checking social media, playing games, or doing just about anything on your phone, semiconductor memory is required for data storage and ensuring smooth performance. The laptop and smart TV in your home also require internal storage to store and retrieve data, as well as learn usage patterns. Following advancements in on-device AI memory chips, many household appliances now possess customized functions that boost security, speed up processes, and reduce power consumption.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Car\/Public Transport<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\nWhen driving to work, you benefit from memory-backed advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) such as lane departure warnings, as well as advanced infotainment technology. As you\u2019re stuck at traffic lights, memory is used in the signal\u2019s control systems which store data to manage traffic flow and keep intersections safe. Taking public transport instead? Subways and train control systems require memory to maintain precise schedules and manage train movements on time. Meanwhile, bus tracking and management systems monitor buses and their arrival times at stops.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Hospital<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\nHaving your annual health checkup? In hospital, medical imaging devices such as MRI and CT scanners use memory to store images required for diagnosis. Patient monitoring systems, which keep track of data including heart rate and blood pressure, also rely on memory along with electronic health record systems which store patients\u2019 medical history, test results, and doctor notes.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Classroom<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\nAs the AI revolution has also impacted education, teachers and students alike can now benefit from a range of AI tools backed by semiconductor memory. For teachers, AI applications can boost productivity in areas such as lesson planning and grading, while students can use such tools for research, writing assistance, and tailored support.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-15808 size-full\" title=\"Semiconductor memory is found in many essential technologies used around the world\" src=\"https:\/\/d18r0a86za96sg.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/27144532\/SK-hynix_Semiconductor-101-4-Where_06.png\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" alt=\"Semiconductor memory is found in many essential technologies used around the world\" width=\"1000\" height=\"633\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"caption\">\u25b2 Semiconductor memory is found in many essential technologies used around the world<\/p>\n<p class=\"footnote\"><sup style=\"color: #ff0000;\">* <\/sup>Doping: Process where specific impurities are intentionally added to modify the electrical properties of the silicon.<br \/>\n<sup style=\"color: #ff0000;\">* <\/sup>Integrated circuit: A collection of components including transistors, resistors, and capacitors grouped on a single board of semiconductor material.<br \/>\n<sup style=\"color: #ff0000;\">* <\/sup>Outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT): Vendors that provide third-party semiconductor assembly, test, and packaging (ATP) services.<br \/>\n<sup style=\"color: #ff0000;\">* <\/sup>Source: Statistics for this section are based on wafer production capacity and are from the SIA\u2019s report \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.semiconductors.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Report_Emerging-Resilience-in-the-Semiconductor-Supply-Chain.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Emerging Resilience in the Semiconductor Supply Chain<\/span><\/a>\u201d (May 2024), which uses data from the U.S. Department of Commerce, SEMI, and BCG Analysis.<br \/>\n<sup style=\"color: #ff0000;\">* <\/sup>NAND flash: A non-volatile storage chip that does not require power to retain data.<br \/>\n<sup style=\"color: #ff0000;\">* <\/sup>Logic semiconductor: Semiconductor chips that are known as the \u201cbrains\u201d of electronics as they can process information and perform calculations to execute various tasks.<br \/>\n<sup style=\"color: #ff0000;\">* <\/sup>High Bandwidth Memory (HBM): A high-value, high-performance product that revolutionizes data processing speeds by connecting multiple DRAM chips with through-silicon via (TSV).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Having looked at \u201cwhere\u201d semiconductors are manufactured and used, the next episode will ask \u201cwhy\u201d these intricate devices are crucial in today\u2019s world.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/news.skhynix.com\/tag\/semiconductor-101\/\">Read more articles from the Semiconductor 101 series<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/linkedin.com\/showcase\/skhynix-news-and-stories\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-15776 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/d18r0a86za96sg.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/27140448\/SK-hynix_Newsroom-banner_1-1.png\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"135\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Imagine a world without smartphones, computers, or the internet. It would be unthinkable for many to live without these essentials, but that would be the case without the engine behind these technologies and many others\u2014semiconductors. Despite the prevalence of these chips, their origins, usage, significance and more are still not widely known. Across six episodes, [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":1804,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_migrated_source_id":15802,"footnotes":"","_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[861,32,239,967],"class_list":["post-1811","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tech-and-ai","tag-semiconductor-101","tag-semiconductor-industry","tag-semiconductor-manufacturing","tag-semiconductor-market","series-semiconductor-101"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.skhynix.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1811","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.skhynix.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.skhynix.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.skhynix.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/23"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.skhynix.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1811"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/news.skhynix.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1811\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11668,"href":"https:\/\/news.skhynix.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1811\/revisions\/11668"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.skhynix.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1804"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.skhynix.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1811"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.skhynix.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1811"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.skhynix.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1811"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}