The Silent Bromine Bottleneck Threatening Global Memory Chips

A bromine-based bottleneck in semiconductor manufacturing could trigger a global memory-chip shortage. South Korea relies on Israel for most of the bromine-derived hydrogen bromide gas used to etch DRAM and NAND; disruption near Israel’s Dead Sea complex would immediately impact memory production worldwide. Substitutes and outside conversion capacity cannot meet near-term demand, and expanding capacity would take years. The piece proposes three actions: pre-positioning bromine feedstock, building semiconductor-grade hydrogen bromide gas conversion capacity outside Israel, and coordinated government measures (Chip 4, critical minerals, and related funding) to mitigate the risk.