BlockBeats News, June 28th, Critini Research analyst Jukan cited industry sources as saying that the purchase of high-purity carbon dioxide used in advanced semiconductor processes has raised a warning signal. The root cause of the issue is not on the demand side, but rather the sharp decline in upstream CO2 production due to reduced operating rates at refineries and petrochemical plants, leading to a significant reduction in CO2 by-product output. Semiconductor manufacturers and suppliers usually hold about two weeks of inventory each, totaling approximately one month's usage. However, the industry widely believes that current inventory levels have fallen below this red line.

Industry data shows that Samsung Electronics consumes around 1800 to 2000 tons of high-purity CO2 per month, while SK Hynix uses approximately 600 to 700 tons per month. Although production at both companies has not been disrupted, inventory buffers are continuously shrinking. The purchasing effort has significantly intensified, and even with price increases, it is difficult to secure additional supply in the short term due to the physical constraint of upstream raw material shortages. The price of liquid CO2 has risen by about 20% since the beginning of the year, and the industry expects the tight supply situation to persist until the end of the year. Key high-purity CO2 suppliers in South Korea include Taekyung Chemical, Sundo Chemical, Dongkwang Chemical, and SK Air Plus, with Taekyung Chemical being recognized as the industry leader.

High-purity CO2 is extensively used in the advanced process of supercritical cleaning, where CO2, in a supercritical state, exhibits both the solvent power of a liquid and the permeation capability of a gas. It can penetrate deep into extremely fine pattern gaps to remove residues and contaminants, which is crucial for advanced chips with narrow pattern gaps and high step height differences. CO2 raw materials come from by-products of processes in refining, petrochemicals, and hydrogen production. The instability in the supply and demand of crude oil caused by the US-Iran conflict and the Middle East situation has led to a decrease in domestic petrochemical plant operating rates, directly impacting the semiconductor material sector. As stated by material experts, "Following helium, anhydrous hydrogen fluoride, and PGMEA, now CO2 is also facing issues. The risks of Middle East crude oil are spilling over repeatedly into the semiconductor material sector, indicating a deep intertwining of the material supply chain with refining and petrochemical by-products."