Seoul, South Korea – Samsung Electronics’ semiconductor division is grappling with significant challenges as its revenue contribution declines. The departure of Jing-Cheng Lin, a prominent chip expert who joined Samsung after nearly two decades at TSMC, marks a critical juncture for the company.
Lin, who worked at TSMC from 1999 to 2017, joined Samsung Semiconductor Research Center’s System Packaging Laboratory in 2022 as vice president, overseeing advanced chip packaging technology. His expertise was pivotal as Samsung aimed to strengthen its packaging business to address the limitations of Moore’s Law.
During his tenure, Lin contributed to the development of HBM4 memory packaging technology, which Samsung hopes will help it compete in the artificial intelligence market. Despite lagging behind SK Hynix in HBM3E market share, Samsung has focused on HBM4 to establish a competitive edge. Lin also played a significant role in advancing hybrid copper bonding technology for 3D ICs and developing HBM-16H.
On LinkedIn, Lin confirmed his departure, stating his two-year contract had concluded. He highlighted his contributions to Samsung’s progress in advanced packaging technologies but did not disclose his future plans.
Lin’s exit raises questions about Samsung’s ability to sustain momentum in its advanced packaging initiatives, particularly as the success of HBM4 technology is crucial to its competitiveness in the semiconductor industry.
