The recent boom in expanding artificial intelligence (AI) data centers is spreading beyond graphics processing units (GPUs) to a supply crunch in power semiconductors, creating bottlenecks in the global supply chain. Demand for power management components for AI servers has surged explosively, while supply has failed to keep pace.
On the 7th, according to the semiconductor industry and market research firm TrendForce, lead times for some power semiconductors from major suppliers such as Infineon Technologies AG, Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI), and onsemi have recently surpassed 35 to 40 weeks. Citing delayed component deliveries, TrendForce lowered its forecast for global server shipment growth this year to 13% from 20%. Power management ICs (PMICs) and MOSFETs, which handle server voltage conversion and power control, have effectively become strategic goods that are "impossible to sell because there's no stock." A MOSFET is a semiconductor that uses voltage to control current flow as precisely as a faucet, serving as a key switch to turn power on and off.
The root cause of the supply crunch lies in a surge in power density driven by changes in AI server architecture. AI servers consume far more power than general-purpose servers, and as next-generation GPUs' power consumption soars, demand for analog semiconductors that handle power conversion and control has increased exponentially. In particular, as multi-stage power delivery and chip-level precision control have become standard design practices, the amount of related components installed has structurally increased. On top of that, rising tensions in the Middle East and the resulting Strait of Hormuz risks are compounding supply instability from Qatar, the core of global helium supply, which is seen as fueling semiconductor production disruptions.
The impact on industry is also becoming visible. As major suppliers prioritize allocations for AI servers, manufacturers that fail to secure volumes are quickly shifting demand to second- and third-tier suppliers such as Taiwan's Panjit and Taiwan Semiconductor (TSC). Backed by Taiwan's robust analog semiconductor supply chain, these companies are filling the gaps left by major players and are directly benefiting, and some say Taiwan's supply chain has emerged as a key pillar in building global AI infrastructure.
Memory chipmakers such as Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are extending their earnings uptrend thanks to rising demand for high bandwidth memory (HBM), but they are closely watching the possibility that power semiconductor bottlenecks could delay overall server shipments and in turn dampen memory demand.
The government is also moving quickly. The Ministry of Science and ICT plans to invest 8.6 trillion won this year in national strategic technology research and development (R&D), up 30% from a year earlier, to support self-sufficiency in core technologies, including power semiconductors.
A public-private next-generation power semiconductor task force recently unveiled an industry development roadmap and announced plans to build a "southern-region power semiconductor innovation belt" linking Busan, Naju, and Pohang, presenting a blueprint to more than double technology self-sufficiency by 2032.
An industry official said, "Power semiconductors have now become a variable that determines the 'energy security' of AI infrastructure," and added, "Korea also needs to secure next-generation material technologies such as silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) to overcome structural limitations in the supply chain."