SemiAnalysis: AI Semiconductor Construction Bottleneck May Extend to Key Materials Such as Tungsten

BlockBeats News, June 30th - Semiconductor and AI independent research firm SemiAnalysis published an article stating that one of the most underestimated ways to participate in AI semiconductor development may not be the chip itself, but rather the materials. As the industry accelerates the production of more advanced semiconductors, demand growth is not only seen in GPUs and wafer fab equipment, but also in the key materials that support modern chip manufacturing.

Take tungsten, for example. Tungsten is one of the most critical materials in semiconductor manufacturing, valued for its high-temperature stability and resistance to electrical erosion. Wafer fabs rely on chemical vapor deposition to fill deep high aspect ratio vertical vias that interconnect multiple layers in chip architecture, while using physical vapor deposition to deposit ultra-thin barrier layers around them. As tungsten covers both core deposition steps, it is irreplaceable in advanced chip production.

Tungsten supply seems to be increasingly constrained. High-purity tungsten metal powder is the primary raw material for manufacturing tungsten hexafluoride, a gas used in chemical vapor deposition. Japan is home to key tungsten hexafluoride suppliers like SK Materials and Shin-Etsu Chemical, but is facing significantly higher prices and a sharp decrease in tungsten raw material imports, making it almost impossible to continue producing critical tungsten hexafluoride materials. The price pressure is also evident in the import price of Korean tungsten hexafluoride, which has risen by 151% this year. As semiconductor complexity and AI demand rise, bottlenecks may not only appear in chips or equipment, but also in the crucial materials at the bottom of the supply chain.