[Severe supply shortage of semiconductor components in South Korea, lengthening delivery cycle. Some equipment manufacturers may have to wait 40 months] September 17th, according to Korean technology media ETNEWS, industry insiders revealed on the 16th that the delivery cycle for key components of semiconductor manufacturing equipment has more than doubled, and the industry is facing a supply shortage. An executive at a company that produces deposition equipment said: "In the past, parts required for deposition equipment could be received four months after ordering, but recently, the delivery time has been extended to 10 months." Another semiconductor laser processing equipment manufacturer purchases key parts from Japan, and the delivery time may be as long as 40 months. A person in charge of the company said: "We are willing to pay a premium to speed up delivery, but we were told that it is very difficult to shorten the delivery cycle due to limited production capacity of component suppliers." The person in charge added: "Unless an alternative supply chain is found, it will be difficult to start producing equipment immediately." An industry insider said: "Even if the parts industry expands production capacity now, it is too late to meet current demand." The person added: "It is unclear when the AI-driven semiconductor super cycle will end, so upstream suppliers lack active investment in capacity expansion."