- 1. South Korea imports 97.5% of its bromine from Israel, per War on the Rocks.
- 2. Israel and Jordan produce two-thirds of global bromine, USGS data shows.
- 3. HBr gas delivers 100:1 etching selectivity for advanced memory chips.
Middle East tensions spark a bromine chokepoint. South Korea imports 97.5% of its bromine from Israel, per War on the Rocks. Iranian missiles strike near ICL Group's Dead Sea facilities, producers of semiconductor-grade hydrogen bromide (HBr) gas for memory chips.
Israel and Jordan control two-thirds of global bromine, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) 2024 data shows. ICL extracts bromine from Dead Sea brine at its Sodom plant. Sites in Dimona and Arad sit within 35 km of recent strikes that injured nearly 200, ICL reported.
Bromine Powers Precision Etching in Memory Chips
HBr gas etches 20-angstrom oxide layers on polysilicon gates with 100:1 selectivity, beating chlorine's 30:1 ratio (Applied Materials whitepaper). Samsung and SK Hynix use it for DRAM and NAND in South Korea.
ICL supplies high-purity HBr to Asian fabs. Japan's Resonac, France's Air Liquide, and Adeka lag in capacity and cost.
- Etching Gas: HBr · Selectivity (Polysilicon:Oxide): 100:1 · Source: Applied Materials
- Etching Gas: Chlorine · Selectivity (Polysilicon:Oxide): 30:1 · Source: Applied Materials
Denser chips fuel smartphones, SSDs, GPUs, and the $500 billion market.
Strikes Escalate Bromine Supply Risks
Iran targets Israel's Negev with ballistic missiles. ICL's Dead Sea operations lie in the zone. Production lines face direct threats.
South Korea's Pyeongtaek and Iksan fabs rely on these imports. Inventories last 45 days, like past helium shortages (Semiconductor Industry Association).
TSMC embeds this memory in iPhones and Nvidia GPUs, amplifying global effects.
Price Hikes Hit Gadgets and Crypto
Shortages could lift NAND/DRAM costs 10-20% (Bloomberg Intelligence). Smartphones, laptops, and consoles face hikes.
Bitcoin hit $74,796 ($1.496 trillion cap), down 1.2% (CoinGecko). Ethereum fell to $2,293 ($277 billion), down 2.4% (CoinGecko).
Nvidia HBM GPUs squeeze miners and AI centers near Bitcoin's $75,000. Crypto Fear & Greed Index reads 27.
Alternatives Fall Short on Scale
Resonac boosts Mizushima output. Air Liquide expands in France. Adeka aids Asia.
None match ICL's cheap Dead Sea brine (ICL Q3 2024 call). Seawater doubles costs. South Korea's plants lag two years.
2nm nodes demand elite etchants. Chlorine cuts yields 15%.
Lessons from Past Disruptions
2021 Suez blockage spiked fab costs 5-8% (SIA). Bromine echoes China's rare earth risks.
TSMC and Intel stockpile gases. U.S. CHIPS Act invests $52 billion since 2022 for reshoring.
Outlook: Chip Volatility Looms
Escalation halts ICL in months, raising memory prices 15-25%. Gadget launches delay.
Fabs pivot to Resonac and Air Liquide. Jordan bolsters its share. Markets eye strikes.
Containment eases risks. Full conflict exposes bromine chokepoint in semiconductors.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the bromine chokepoint?
Heavy reliance on Middle East bromine for chips. South Korea gets 97.5% from Israel. Strikes near ICL sites threaten memory production.
How does bromine affect chip manufacturing?
Forms HBr gas for 100:1 selective etching of 20A oxides. Beats chlorine's 30:1. Enables dense memory in gadgets.
Who produces HBr outside Israel?
Resonac (Japan), Air Liquide (France), Adeka. They lack ICL's scale and low-cost Dead Sea brine.
Why South Korea's Israel dependency?
97.5% imports fuel Samsung/SK Hynix fabs. Israel/Jordan hold two-thirds global supply. Negev strikes raise alarms.
