Glossary
Concise, sourced definitions of the investing terms used across ETFpedia concepts. Each term is a standalone page that other pages link to.
- 01 Advanced Chip Packaging Advanced Chip Packaging · Advanced chip packaging assembles multiple dies into one high-performance package using 2.5D and 3D techniques like CoWoS, TSVs, and hybrid bonding.
- 02 Agentic AI Agentic AI · Agentic AI completes multi-step tasks autonomously by planning, calling tools, and acting in a loop, shifting compute demand toward CPUs and inference.
- 03 What is an AI accelerator? AI accelerator · An AI accelerator is a chip specialized for neural-network math: GPUs, custom ASICs like Google's TPU, and wafer-scale processors such as Cerebras's.
- 04 What is AI displacement immunity? AI Displacement Immunity · AI displacement immunity is how protected a company's earnings are from being copied or automated away by AI, usually thanks to physical assets.
- 05 AI Inference AI Inference · AI inference is running a trained AI model to produce an output for each input. It is the recurring, usage-driven counterpart to training a model.
- 06 What is a battery energy storage system? Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) · A battery energy storage system (BESS or ESS) stores electricity in battery cells and discharges it on demand, smoothing renewables and meeting peak demand.
- 07 What is co-packaged optics? Co-Packaged Optics · Co-packaged optics (CPO) puts optics next to the switch chip to cut power per bit by about 30-40%, a key next-generation AI data-center technology.
- 08 What is the Corporate Value-up Program? Corporate Value-up Program (기업 밸류업 프로그램) · The Corporate Value-up Program is Korea's 2024 government initiative pushing listed companies to disclose plans that raise valuations and shareholder returns.
- 09 CoWoS CoWoS · CoWoS (Chip-on-Wafer-on-Substrate) is TSMC's 2.5D advanced-packaging platform for AI accelerators. Its capacity gates how many accelerators can ship.
- 10 What is data center power? Data Center Power · Data center power is the electricity supply chain behind a data center: grid hookups, transformers, switchgear, busways, backup generation, and storage.
- 11 What is a defense offset? Defense Offset · A defense offset is a reciprocal obligation requiring an arms seller to deliver economic value back to the buyer, via technology transfer or local production.
- 12 What is downstream space? Downstream Space · Downstream space is the services segment that turns satellite signals and data into communications, navigation, and Earth observation products on the ground.
- 13 What is DRAM? DRAM (Dynamic Random-Access Memory) · DRAM is computing's working memory, storing bits as capacitor charge. Three makers dominate it, and it is the building block of HBM and server memory.
- 14 What is Earth observation? Earth Observation · Earth observation (EO) is the collection of data about the Earth from satellites, the downstream space segment that sells imagery, monitoring, and analytics.
- 15 What is friend-shoring? Friend-shoring · Friend-shoring routes supply chains to trusted allies rather than rivals, a strategy popularized by Janet Yellen to make trade more secure and resilient.
- 16 What is GPU-as-a-Service? GPU-as-a-Service (Neocloud) · GPU-as-a-Service (GPUaaS) is a cloud model where neoclouds like CoreWeave, Nebius, and IREN rent large GPU clusters for AI training and inference.
- 17 What is HBM? HBM (High Bandwidth Memory) · HBM is DRAM stacked beside a processor and wired through a 2,048-bit interface; HBM4 reaches 2 TB/s per stack, the memory behind AI accelerators.
- 18 What is HVDC? High-Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) · HVDC is a transmission technology that moves bulk electricity as direct current at very high voltage, cutting long-distance losses versus AC lines.
- 19 What is the holding-company discount? Holding-Company Discount (지주사 디스카운트) · The holding-company discount is the gap between a listed holding company's market value and the value of its stakes; in Korea it has run 30 to 60 percent.
- 20 What is a humanoid robot? Humanoid Robot · A humanoid robot is a human-shaped, general-purpose robot, usually bipedal with arms and hands, built to work in spaces and with tools made for people.
- 21 IC Package Substrate IC Package Substrate · An IC package substrate is the fine-line board that mounts a chip die and routes its connections out. High-end FC-BGA substrates are an AI packaging chokepoint.
- 22 MLCC (Multilayer Ceramic Capacitor) MLCC (Multilayer Ceramic Capacitor) · A multilayer ceramic capacitor (MLCC) stores charge and smooths voltage in circuits. AI servers use far more high-capacitance MLCCs than traditional servers.
- 23 What is NAND flash? NAND Flash · NAND flash is the non-volatile memory behind SSDs and storage. Learn how it works, who makes it, and why it matters to the China memory and AI storage themes.
- 24 What is on-device AI? On-Device AI · On-device AI runs AI models locally on a phone, PC, or edge device using an NPU, instead of the cloud. It lowers latency, cost, and privacy exposure.
- 25 What is physical AI? Physical AI · Physical AI is artificial intelligence embodied in machines that sense and act in the real world, such as robots, as opposed to screen-bound generative AI.
- 26 What is Physical Asset Intensity? Physical Asset Intensity · Physical Asset Intensity is the share of a company's value tied to tangible, capital-intensive assets like PP&E, a core screen for asset-heavy concepts.
- 27 What is satellite communications? Satellite Communications · Satellite communications (satcom) delivers voice, data, and broadband through orbiting satellites, the largest downstream segment of the space economy.
- 28 What is silicon photonics? Silicon Photonics · Silicon photonics builds optical components onto a silicon chip to move data with light at high bandwidth and lower power, a core AI data-center technology.
- 29 Silicon Wafer Silicon Wafer · A silicon wafer is the thin disc of single-crystal silicon that chips are fabricated on, the raw substrate at the base of the semiconductor supply chain.
- 30 What is a small modular reactor? Small Modular Reactor (SMR) · A small modular reactor (SMR) is a nuclear reactor of about 300 MWe or less, built from factory-made modules to cut cost and time versus conventional reactors.
- 31 What is a solid-state battery? Solid-State Battery · A solid-state battery replaces the liquid electrolyte of a lithium-ion cell with a solid one for higher energy density and safety, the next-gen EV cell.
- 32 What is a TPU? TPU (Tensor Processing Unit) · A TPU is Google's custom AI accelerator chip, co-designed with Broadcom and made by TSMC, tuned for the matrix math behind neural networks.
- 33 What is upstream space? Upstream Space · Upstream space is the segment that designs, builds, and launches rockets, satellites, and spacecraft, the capital-intensive supply side of the space economy.
- 34 Wafer-Fab Equipment (WFE) Wafer-Fab Equipment (WFE) · Wafer-fab equipment (WFE) is the machinery that turns blank silicon wafers into patterned chips: lithography, deposition, etch, CMP, and process control.