SAMSUNG SEMICONDUCTORS
Samsung Semiconductors
The component businesses of Samsung Electronics come together as Device Solutions. As a leading company in the global electronics industry, Samsung Electronics has one of the widest product ranges of key component businesses Memory, System LSI and LED, which compose essential parts of the company’s well-balanced business portfolio.
Samsung initiated its semiconductor operations in 1974 with the acquisition of Hankook Semiconductor in 1974. Early operations consisted mostly of developing and mass producing ICs and peripherals for such consumer electronics as analog and LED watches, televisions, audio players and microwave ovens. The pivotal turning point in Samsung’s evolution into a leading semiconductor manufacturer was the successful development of the 64Kb DRAM in 1983, the company’s first memory product, and the subsequent opening of the Giheung Semiconductor Complex where it has been operating both memory and system LSI fabrication facilities since 1984.
Through aggressive business strategies and consistent investments, Samsung achieved and has maintained its market leadership position in memory industry since 1993. Along with its success in memory sector, the company signaled a long commitment to logic and analog chip development in 2001 with the expansion of its System LSI organization and the opening of its SoC Research Lab. Since then, Samsung’s System LSI Business has scaled significantly in terms of both sales volume and product portfolio, and now is one of major players in the sector and also the largest provider in many product categories.
Recently, Samsung added a new business to its component portfolio. LED, which was initiated as a 50:50 venture between Samsung Electro-Mechanics and Samsung Electronics in 2009 and was recently merged into the component arm of Samsung Electronics. The new transition was designed to raise efficiency and competitiveness by taking advantage of synergies across the existing component businesses and thus to achieve leadership as a light source supplier in displays and lighting applications.
