"Samsung Semiconductor Should Hire Earthquake Experts"... Why Did CTO Jaihyuk Song Make This Statement?

[Financial News]"Semiconductor technology is approaching its limits. Perhaps it's time for Samsung Semiconductor to hire earthquake experts."At the 27th SEDEX 2025 keynote speech at COEX in Seoul on the 22nd, Jaihyuk Song, CTO of the Device Solutions (DS) division at Samsung Electronics, stated, "All innovation arises from the convergence of diverse fields. I believe semiconductors are moving in that direction as well."
He particularly stressed the importance of 'collaboration beyond boundaries.' Song explained, "Technological breakthroughs in navigation and surveying were achieved by connecting fields such as astronomy, mathematics, and mechanical engineering, which are not directly related. Even the revolutionary spread of iron metal in human culture resulted from the combination of linguistics, casting, and mechanical technology—three very different disciplines."
Song identified 'technological limitations' as the reason why collaboration is essential. He noted, "Technologies for stacking and attaching DRAM or NAND Flash Memory have already been commercialized. We have moved from flat, to vertical, to attached, and now to stacked technologies." He added, "Currently, the most advanced technology is known as chiplet packaging. The emergence of chiplets signals that silicon is beginning to encounter its own limitations." Chiplets involve separating the necessary functions of a traditional chip, manufacturing each as a small chiplet, and then integrating them into a single package using advanced post-processing technologies. Silicon is used for its excellent electrical conductivity and insulation properties.
Song introduced several examples of cross-boundary collaboration within Samsung Electronics and emphasized the ongoing need for such approaches. He remarked, "Many of our current internal technologies are inspired by general-purpose solutions. By combining these technologies, we have been able to create new innovations."
He further commented, "In the past, ten departments could achieve the required technological complexity, but now it takes twenty to thirty departments working together. As a leader in research and development today, I believe companies with a diverse range of disciplines can generate better synergy. Even within our organization, if logic engineers move to DRAM and DRAM engineers to packaging, we can achieve this kind of synergy."
In conclusion, Song emphasized that technological collaboration among industry, academia, and research institutions is essential for the advancement of semiconductor technology—not just within Samsung Electronics. He stated, "Looking at past cases of innovation achieved through cross-boundary collaboration, I believe semiconductors can also be developed in this way. In this sense, I hope to pursue technology development together with companies in materials, equipment, testing, packaging, as well as with academia and industry."
kjh0109@fnnews.com Kwon Jun-ho Reporter