War or Peace, the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Chip Industry Just Learned Depending on One Route for 30% of Its Helium Is Risky
The semiconductor industry is facing a helium supply crisis due to the Strait of Hormuz crisis, with Qatar's Ras Laffan facility offline since March 2026, affecting 30% of global helium supply. Companies like Samsung and SK Hynix, major producers of high-bandwidth memory chips for Nvidia's GPUs, are at risk due to their reliance on Qatari helium.
The semiconductor industry's helium supply is at risk due to the Strait of Hormuz crisis. Qatar's Ras Laffan facility, the world's largest helium production site, has been offline since March 2026. Helium is crucial for EUV lithography, wafer cooling, and leak detection in semiconductor manufacturing. South Korea, which imports 64% of its helium from Qatar, is particularly exposed, putting Samsung and SK Hynix at risk. The industry is responding with helium recycling, tool redesign, and supply diversification efforts. Linde, L'Air Liquide, and Air Products are benefiting from helium recycling demand. TSMC has a near-term buffer due to multiyear supply contracts and inventory. Nvidia's Blackwell GPU shipments may be affected if HBM production slows at Samsung and SK Hynix.
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