The price of helium rises, putting more pressure on chipmakers

CTOnews.com, January 28, according to TheElec, the amount of helium used in chip production is increasing in South Korea. This is expected to put pressure on local chipmakers that have been hit hard by global inflation.

The price of helium has risen since the outbreak, rising by more than 40% from 2020 to 2022.

Prices for suppliers Linde, air products and air liquids are expected to rise by a further 30% this year, according to sources.

Helium is used as a coolant in wafer manufacturing and display panel production.

CTOnews.com has learned that more than 60 per cent of the helium used in South Korea is consumed by chipmakers Samsung and SK Hynix. Rising prices and unfavorable exchange rates have increased the cost of purchasing gas for the two chipmakers.

The US and Qatar account for more than 70 per cent of global helium production, but many US companies closed their operations during the outbreak.

South Korean companies used to rely heavily on helium imports from the United States. South Korea imported 1133 tons of gas from the United States in 2020, but fell to 680 tons in 2021 and 565 tons in 2022.

Russia is another producer of the gas and is now reducing its production as a result of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.