Chip bán dẫn công suất lên ngôi nhờ làn sóng AI

Photo caption: Semiconductor chips on a circuit board. File photo: Reuters/TTXVN

According to DB HiTek, a South Korean company specializing in 8-inch foundry services, revenue in 2025 reached 1.4 trillion won, while operating profit totaled 277.3 billion won—up 24% and 45%, respectively, year on year. The company said that growing demand for power management integrated circuits (PMICs), driven by the expansion of AI services, had a positive impact on its business performance.

Previously, DB HiTek’s revenue declined during 2023–2024 due to weakening demand for IT devices, but rebounded strongly in 2025 thanks to a recovery in demand for power chips and the rapid expansion of the AI and electric vehicle markets. The company’s fab utilization rate also surged to 96% last year, compared with 76% in 2024.

PMICs are chips responsible for converting, storing, distributing, and controlling electrical power in electronic devices, playing a key role in optimizing energy consumption. Due to their lower production costs and suitability for small-scale products, PMICs have traditionally been manufactured on 8-inch wafers rather than the 12-inch wafers used for advanced chips.

Notably, DB HiTek’s recovery comes as major industry players are scaling back 8-inch wafer production to focus on more advanced processes. Samsung Electronics is expected to shut down an 8-inch plant in the second half of this year, while TSMC also plans to suspend operations at several similar facilities.

However, demand for 8-inch wafers continues to rise as AI data centers and electric vehicles shift to higher-voltage power systems to improve energy efficiency. In response to this trend, DB HiTek and SK Keyfoundry are accelerating the development of high-voltage process technologies, strengthening their positions in the power semiconductor segment.

Duc Thang (TTXVN correspondent in the Republic of Korea)
Source: baotintuc.vn