馬斯克的 Terafab 與約 10 家韓國晶片供應商洽談供應事宜

A rendering of Terafab, the semiconductor manufacturing facility Tesla and SpaceX are building in Grimes County, Texas. The project reportedly targets monthly wafer processing capacity of 1 million units within 10 years, with an initial investment of $16.8 billion. (Photo: SpaceX)

Elon Musk’s Tesla and SpaceX are holding talks with South Korean semiconductor materials, components and equipment suppliers to secure a supply chain for their Terafab chip manufacturing project.

Several companies have already signed nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) and advanced to discussions over specific products. Until now, HPSP and Hanmi Semiconductor were the only two Korean equipment suppliers publicly linked to Terafab. However, discussions are underway across nearly every category that Korean companies could supply, from basic piping components and process materials to semiconductor testing components, THE ELEC has learned.

According to information gathered by THE ELEC on Oct. 20, Tesla and SpaceX representatives visited Korean companies at SEMICON West 2026, held in San Francisco from Oct. 13 to 15, local time, to assess their products and manufacturing capabilities and propose follow-up discussions. Talks with many of the companies had already been underway for several months.

On the morning of Oct. 13, the exhibition’s opening day, Terafab representatives visited booths operated by about 10 Korean companies, including ENF Technology, Dongjin Semichem, Asflow, BMT, GnG Intech, Unisem, MiCo and Hanmi Semiconductor. Materials procurement personnel approached chemical suppliers, while gas delivery system specialists visited piping component makers. The representatives came from both Tesla and SpaceX.

“It appears they had already identified the companies they wanted to contact and the products they wanted to discuss before visiting the booths as soon as the exhibition opened,” an official at a Korean company said.

The discussions vary in maturity. ENF Technology, Asflow and GnG Intech made their first contacts during the event. ENF Technology was asked to introduce the process materials it could supply, while Asflow discussed potential supplies of piping components and valves. Three Tesla facilities personnel visited GnG Intech to inquire about the possible use of its wastewater recycling equipment. Among the companies making initial contact, at least one received an NDA by email on the evening of the booth visit.

Other companies had already signed NDAs and begun discussions. BMT has been in talks over supplies of valves and fluid-handling components. KoMiCo, MiCo’s cleaning subsidiary, signed a three-party NDA with Tesla and SpaceX about a month ago. The companies are discussing cleaning services for a research and development (R&D) pilot line in Texas.

Unisem has also signed an NDA to discuss environmental equipment supplies, including scrubbers. Dongjin Semichem has been in talks with Tesla for two to three months, examining potential supplies centered on its thinner production plant in Texas. Other materials, including phosphoric acid, are also under discussion.

Hanmi Semiconductor is discussing the supply of thermocompression (TC) bonders to Terafab. At SpaceX’s request, a sales executive visited in person to introduce the equipment, and the two sides have since exchanged inquiries. HPSP has agreed to supply one high-pressure hydrogen annealing (HPA) system for Terafab’s R&D line.

ISC has advanced to exchanging samples and R&D design information. The company was the first to commercialize silicone rubber sockets. Discussions began after Terafab considered using rubber sockets in its semiconductor testing process.

Most companies discussing supplies with Terafab are existing suppliers to Tesla or SpaceX. BMT supplies piping components to SpaceX, while KoMiCo provides cleaning services to Tesla’s automotive business. Hanmi Semiconductor supplies equipment used to manufacture materials for SpaceX satellites. Former Intel personnel overseeing Terafab have also brought Intel suppliers into the project, including ENF Technology, Asflow, ISC and HPSP. Procurement personnel from GlobalFoundries have also joined, bringing connections to suppliers such as Dongjin Semichem.

Tesla and SpaceX do not do business with Chinese suppliers. “Excluding China, there aren’t many suppliers, and Japanese companies are expensive,” an official at a Korean equipment maker said. “Korea is a good option.” Another industry official said the companies are seeking prices even lower than those offered by Chinese suppliers.

Talks are also underway with overseas materials and equipment suppliers. Fujifilm holds regular meetings with Terafab’s procurement team to discuss potential supplies of chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) slurries, photoresists, etchants and cleaning chemicals. “Most major materials suppliers have probably already held discussions with Terafab,” a Fujifilm official said. “The products they supply will depend on which technologies are selected.”

Leading global equipment suppliers Lam Research and Applied Materials are also understood to have established dedicated Terafab teams.

Terafab is a semiconductor manufacturing facility Musk is developing in Texas. Tesla, SpaceX and xAI announced in March that they would jointly pursue the project, but have not disclosed a separate corporate entity or ownership structure. The goal is to build a fab capable of processing 1 million wafers a month within 10 years. Initial investment is estimated at $16.8 billion, with more than 3,000 jobs expected. SpaceX signed a tax abatement agreement with Texas earlier this month and began construction. Industry observers expect the initial facility, with capacity for 100,000 wafers a month, to be completed before 2030.

Tesla is also building a process R&D pilot fab at its Gigafactory Texas plant in Austin. The primary objective is to secure in-house supplies of chips for Tesla’s autonomous driving systems and robots, as well as SpaceX satellites and space-based data centers. The companies are working with Intel on logic semiconductors and are also in discussions with TSMC. A separate memory manufacturing process is understood to be planned.

“My understanding is that Musk initially considered acquiring manufacturing facilities from Intel, TSMC and Micron, but shifted toward partnerships after being turned down,” an official at an overseas equipment supplier said. “I’ve never seen this level of execution speed elsewhere in the semiconductor industry.”

“When we send inquiries, even in the early morning hours in the US, we receive responses within 30 minutes to an hour,” an official at a Korean supplier said. “Engineers have decision-making authority, making the way they work completely different from dealing with ordinary customers.”