AI핵심 ‘메모리 공장’ 노리는 미국…전문가 “대미 설득 병행해 국내 거점 속도내야”

The United States is pressuring its own semiconductor industry to build advanced manufacturing facilities within its borders, particularly for artificial intelligence (AI) supply chains, which are limited by insufficient memory semiconductor capabilities. Experts warn that this American pressure could hinder domestic investment and skew corporate resource allocation, suggesting that parallel support for local production sites, such as those in Incheon and Hoseo, is necessary.

Currently, there is only one operating memory manufacturing plant in the United States, run by Micron Technology in Virginia. Micron is expanding its Virginia plant and constructing new ones in Boise, Idaho, and New York's Clare. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, the top two memory semiconductor manufacturers, are also investing in domestic facilities, with the former constructing a new fabrication plant in Texas and the latter completing a packaging plant in Indiana.

The US government's pressure stems from China's increasing memory production capacity, led by CXMT and YMT, which could undermine US dominance. With AI adoption driving demand, American companies like Apple are increasingly reliant on Chinese memory supplies, further motivating the US to bolster domestic production. Domestic semiconductor firms are closely monitoring the situation, as the US's demands may impact their investment decisions and potential technology leakage concerns.

Professor Jin-oh Kim of Seoul National University's System Semiconductor Engineering Department notes that the US's local investments involve complex factors, making simultaneous semiconductor plant investments by domestic companies unrealistic. He emphasizes the need for the government to explain the situation to its companies.