Middle East conflict exposes bromine supply chokepoint that could disrupt South Korean DRAM and NAND memory chip production

The article argues that the Iran-Israel conflict has revealed a neglected semiconductor supply-chain risk: bromine, not just helium. South Korea relies on Israel for 97.5% of its bromine imports, and bromine is needed to produce semiconductor-grade hydrogen bromide gas used in DRAM and NAND chip fabrication.

This highlights how critical chipmaking dependencies can sit several layers upstream from fabs, making them easy for policymakers and markets to miss. A disruption could hit memory chips broadly, affecting smartphones, data centers, AI infrastructure, and nearly every digital device.

The Bromine Chokepoint