Samsung Electronics CTO stresses industry-wide cooperation in AI chip innovation

SEOUL, Feb. 19 (Yonhap) – The chief technology officer (CTO) of Samsung Electronics Co. on Wednesday emphasized the need for industry-wide collaboration to advance semiconductor technology in the era of artificial intelligence (AI).

"No single player can make chiplets alone. Everyone is important, from equipment and materials suppliers to chipmakers, electronic design automation (EDA) companies, schools, research centers and customers," Song Jai-hyuk, CTO and president at Samsung Electronics, said during a keynote speech at Semicon Korea 2025 in Seoul.

Chiplets, which integrate multiple chips into a single package, are gaining attention as AI-driven applications demand faster and more efficient processing power.

Song noted that as AI technology advances, semiconductor technology must evolve to deliver higher performance with lower power consumption. However, the pace of technological development appears to be reaching its limits.

The Samsung official highlighted advanced packaging technology and co-innovation across the semiconductor ecosystem as key solutions.

"Packaging technology will help us push back our technological limitations," he said. "Co-innovation with design houses will be crucial in achieving higher performance and lower power consumption."

His remarks are in line with Samsung Electronics' moves to strengthen business partnerships with global chip equipment producers, materials suppliers and customers.

Last year, Chairman Lee Jae-yong met with leaders of ASML and Zeiss, key chip equipment companies in Europe, reinforcing their collaborative efforts in the sector.

Most recently, Vice Chairman Jun Yong-hyun, who heads the semiconductor division at Samsung Electronics, had talks with Nvidia Corp. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jensen Huang to discuss issues regarding the supply of high bandwidth memory (HBM).

HBM is a key component for graphic processing units (GPUs), dominated by Nvidia, with SK hynix Inc. and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) playing a pivotal role in production.

Samsung Electronics has been struggling to join the Nvidia-led HBM supply chain.

The South Korean company earlier said it plans to introduce the improved HBM3E at the end of the first quarter, with mass production of its sixth-generation HBM4 set for the second half of 2025.

brk@yna.co.kr
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