Absolics Inc. partners with a local U.S. educational institution to develop human resources for semiconductors.
● Absolics Inc. signed an industry-academia collaboration agreement with Georgia Piedmont Technical College to set up an education/training program and jointly structure the curriculum.● The collaboration is aimed to develop technical talent that the glass substrate business could benefit from and contribute to reinforce the competitiveness of the local semiconductor industry ecosystem.Absolics Inc., a semiconductor glass substrate business in which SKC (CEO & President Woncheol Park) has invested, partnered with a local U.S. educational institution to develop human resources for the semiconductor industry.Absolics Inc. signed an industry-academia collaboration MOU with Georgia Piedmont Technical College (GPTC) on March 9 (local time) to jointly set up an education/training program for human resources development of the semiconductor industry. The signing ceremony, held at GPTC’s Newton Campus in Covington, Newton County, Georgia, was attended by key officials from both sides including Absolics Inc. CTO Seongjin Kim and GPTC President Tavarez Holston.This MOU will serve as a basis for Absolics Inc. and GPTC to structure an education/training curriculum of industry-academia collaboration customized for jobs such as semiconductor quality management and defect analysis. The goal sought through this arrangement is to develop the human resources that the semiconductor glass substrate business need and contribute to reinforcing the competitiveness of the overall local semiconductor industry ecosystem in the long term.Absolics Inc. is the first company in the world to promote the semiconductor glass substrate business that is building a manufacturing facility on an SKC inc. site in Georgia since last November. A first-phase investment of USD 240 million was made to complete the manufacturing facility next year with an annual production capacity of 12,000 square meters. A second-phase investment of USD 360 million will also follow to expand the annual production capacity to 72,000 square meters.The semiconductor glass substrate business also started through local industry-academia collaboration. Commercialization of the business was built on the combination of GPTC’s basic glass substrate technology and SKC’s processing technology and manufacturing know-how. This additional industry-academia collaboration with GPTC laid the groundwork for Absolics Inc. to participate in talent development and achieve recruitment stability.Founded in 1961, GPTC is one of the largest and most historic community colleges in Georgia specializing in tech education. Over 1,000 students in fields such as industrial technology and computer science graduate from the college each year. GPTC President Tavarez Holston expressed his anticipation saying, “We look forward to a successful, long-term industry-academia collaboration with global companies SKC and Absolics Inc. that will contribute to local community development.”An Absolics Inc. executive said, “This industry-academia collaboration with GPTC, which is the best industrial technology education institution in the region, will contribute to develop talent needed for the future semiconductor industry and build a local semiconductor ecosystem,” and added, “We will continue to expand industry-academia collaborations to ensure the future availability of talented manpower.” [End of document][Absolics Inc. CTO Seongjin Kim (right) and GPTC (Georgia Piedmont Technical College) President Tavarez Holston holding the industry-academia collaboration MOU for semiconductor human resources development after signing it at GPTC’s Newton Campus on March 9.].jpg
2023-03-10
SKC solmics renamed SK enpulse, bracing for a new leap forward
Officially adopted this year, the new
corporate name stands for dynamic growth and commitment to usher in a new trend
in the chip material industryIn high gear on the fast track to localize high-value
materials such as CMP pad, and blank mask···
to evolve into a global semiconductor ESG solution provider
SKC solmics, an investee
specialized on semiconductor materials of SKC (President: Woncheol Park),
is renamed SK enpulse, bracing for a new leap to join the league of global
semiconductor ESG solution providers.
Officially adopted
this year, SK solmics’ new corporate name, SK enpulse, is a compound word
combining the English prefix ‘en’ as in ‘enable’ with ‘pulse’ indicating trend
and wave. It epitomizes the company’s commitment to fostering dynamic growth
and creating a new trend in the chip material industry.
SK enpulse is the
key semiconductor-making arm of SKC. The company has spearheaded the
localization of fine ceramic for chip applications with over a 30-year-long
R&D history. Affiliated a subsidiary of SKC in 2008, the company has been
rapidly innovating its business model, expanding its reach to cover high-value
chip materials including CMP pad and blank mask.
Under its new
name, SK enpulse vows to put new business growth into high gear. CMP pads are used
to flatten the surface of semiconductor wafers to increase the degree of
integration in chips. SK enpulse has been growing fast, carving out niches as
primary suppliers of SK hynix and DB HiTek in the CMP pad market, 80% of which
was dominated by global chemical giant Dupont.
Blank masks serve as
the canvas of the exposure step in chipmaking process where ultra-fine circuits
are drawn at nanometer spacing. SK enpulse succeeded late last year in localizing
high-end blank masks 90% of which was dominated by Japanese competitors. That has
drawn significant attention from chipmakers.
In addition to
adopting the new name, SK enpluse plans to further accelerate its growth by
consummating the merger with SK telesys this February. The company will also
seek to transform its identity from being a pioneer in the localization of
semiconductor materials/components to a global semiconductor ESG solution
provider committed to ESG management and global expansion.
“We have decided
to adopt a new name aligned with SKC’s vision for the semiconductor material
business and new corporate identity,” said a source in SK enpulse. “We will be
reborn as a provider of high-value semiconductor materials, increasing our market
cap. to 1.5 trillion won by 2025.” [End]
[SK enpluse CI]
2023-01-15
SKC, announces the world’s first commercialization of glass substrate: a game changer for semiconductor packaging
Data processing improved greatly while power consumption is reduced
followed by tech certification by a global semiconductor manufacturer SKC to build a 12,000-square-meter production plant in Georgia, U.S. by
2023 and target to expand it into a 72,000-square-meter production plant by
2025
SKC (CEO Lee Wan-jae) is starting to commercialize high-performance computing glass substrate that it has developed for the first time in the world. Glass substrate is a futuristic material that is considered a 'game changer' in the semiconductor packaging field because it can significantly increase the performance and power efficiency of computer chipsets.SKC held a board meeting on the 28th and decided to build a semiconductor glass substrate production base within the premises of SKC inc. in Georgia, USA by investing a total of US$80 million, including a technology value of US$70 million. It is aiming to complete the 12,000-square-meter mass production facilities by 2023. SKC's glass substrate for high performance computing (HPC) is expected to change the game for semiconductor packages. When a glass substrate is applied, the package thickness is cut in half and so is power consumption. Data center footprint can be significantly reduced as data throughput is dramatically improved. The company’s prototype has already been certified technologically by a global semiconductor manufacturer.In general, semiconductors such as CPU, GPU, and memory are packaged as one component on a substrate together with several MLCCs before being connected to a PCB. Plastic substrates were widely used, but their uneven surface turned problematic for high-performance semiconductor packaging involving repetitive miniaturization. An alternative method was developed in which silicon with a smooth surface was used as an intermediate substrate(interposer).However, compared to a glass substrate, this method has low efficiency and limited uses; The package gets thicker due to an interposer, making it hard to be used for mobile applications; The increased distance between the semiconductor chip and the PCB results in larger power consumption, too. In addition, it is difficult to economically produce large-area rectangular substrates required for high performance in round silicon.By contrast, the SKC glass substrate has a smooth surface and can make a large square panel, so it can respond to the trend of larger size products as well as the miniaturization of semiconductor packaging. The glass substrate does not require an interposer, reducing its thickness and raising its power efficiency. So it can be applied to mobile products easily. It is particularly advantageous for high performance products as MLCC, which had to be installed on the surface of the board, can be placed inside the board so that larger CPUs or GPUs can be mounted on the surface with more memory when necessary. SKC has decided to consider expanding the production capacity to 72,000 square meters per year by 2025, given that the semiconductor packaging market for high-performance computing is rapidly growing due to a surge in data throughput such as AI and data center servers. According to multiple market research institutes, the market will nearly triple from US$3.5 billion in 2020 to US$9.7 billion in 2025. An SKC official said, "SKC's glass substrates are receiving great attention from global semiconductor material suppliers and semiconductor manufacturers alike as they are produced with the groundbreaking technology that enables chip designers to achieve the maximum performance they can ever aspire to,” adding, “We will build a stable business base in collaboration with our business partners so we supply our innovative products to global semiconductor manufacturers while contributing to innovations across the industry using high-performance semiconductors.”
[Reference
photo]
[The glass
substrate for semiconductor packaging developed by SKC for the first time in
the world. It is called the ‘game changer’ in the field of semiconductor
packaging due to its thin thickness leading to high power efficiency on top of
its outstanding data processing performance.]
[The packaging
with a glass substrate developed by SKC for semiconductor packaging for the
first time in the world.]
2021-10-28
SKC solmics Started Commercial Operation of New CMP Pad Factory to Produce the Core Component for Semiconductor Planarization
● High
value-added components that increase the degree of integration by flattening
the wafer surface – SKC solmics
accelerating localization in the market dominated by global powerhouses● SKC
solmics has invested KRW 70 billion to construct two factories in Anseong and
Cheonan since 2015 to secure an annual production capacity of 180,000 sheets
SKC solmics, a
subsidiary of SKC (President Lee Wan-jae), specializing in
semiconductor materials and components, has started the commercial operation of
its Cheonan factory to roll out CMP (chemical mechanical polishing) pads, a key
component in the semiconductor planarization process. With an annual production
capacity of 180,000 sheets, including the quantity from the Anseong factory,
SKC solmics has further increased its localization rate of CMP pads.
SKC solmics has
begun the commercial operation of its second CMP pad factory in Cheonan,
Chungcheongnam-do. The factory which began construction in 2020 with a budget of
KRW 47 billion can produce 120,000 CMP pads a year. Previously, SKC's Semiconductor
Materials Business Group started investing in the CMP pad business in 2015 with
KRW 20 billion and built a 60,000-sheet CMP pad factory in the Yongwol
Industrial Complex, Anseong. In order to respond to ever-growing demand, the
company started building its second CMP pad factory and has now tripled its
total production capacity in the area.
The CMP pad made
of polyurethane is a high value-added product that mechanically and chemically
polishes the surface of semiconductor wafers that have undergone exposure,
etching, and deposition along with CMP slurry. It is key to increasing the
degree of integration of semiconductors. Its consumption is on the rise
following the miniaturization of semiconductors and the increase in the number
of processes. According to an analysis by a semiconductor market research
institute, the global market for CMP pads will reach KRW 1.58 trillion in 2023.
Two US companies have
occupied more than 90% of the CMP pad market worldwide. It is difficult for
others to enter the market due to high technological and patent barriers. To
start off, they must secure highly sophisticated technologies required to
control material properties and process wafer contact surfaces. Since entering
the business in 2015, SKC's Semiconductor Materials Business Group has secured
business competitiveness, as shown in its application for more than 200 patents
at home and abroad, as a result of its own earnest R&D efforts on top of
its robust technological expertise and knowhow in the polyurethane business.
SKC solmics is the
only CMP pad manufacturer to have a recipe for CMP pad stock solution. Most
notably, it has the ability to freely control the size and uniformity of pores
in CMP pads as small as micrometers, meaning that the company can quickly
develop and supply CMP pads with the properties and contact surfaces desired by
its customers.
As such, SKC solmics
is contributing to the localization of CMP pad materials, for which Korea depended
mostly on imports: In 2016, it developed a pad for tungsten process and
replaced imported products. It became the first company in Korea to localize a
pad for copper processing. Recently, it has succeeded in localizing a pad for
the oxide process, which is extremely challenging technologically, for the
first time in the country.
The company’s efforts are leading to an increase in
the localization rate of CMP pads for local customers.
“The Cheonan Factory
will produce CMP pads and blank masks, for which Korea has long been dependent
on imports, and serve as the country’s hub for the localization of
semiconductor materials,” said an official from SKC solmics. “We will successfully
complete the ongoing global semiconductor manufacturer certification assessment
process to advance into the global market and contribute to strengthening the
worldwide semiconductor materials supply chain.”
[photo
description]
[CMP pad manufacturing processes at the Cheonan Factory
of SKC solmics deploying robots to improve product quality significantly.]
2021-08-03
SK telesys sells telecom biz to PANTECH C&I
Sale price 78.9 bn won to be spent on biz model
innovation to enhance competitiveness
SK telesys, a subsidiary of SKC (President Lee Wan-jae) is selling off
its telecom business.
On June 24, SKC disclosed that its subsidiary SK telesys signed a
contract for selling its subsidiary SKC infraservice engaging in telecom
equipment/network maintenance to PANTECH C&I. The sales price comes to 78.9
billion won. The relevant procedure will be concluded by August.
SK telesys once experienced difficulty after making a foray into the handset
business in/around 2011, but recovered with the help of SKC and has recorded
profit for four straight years since 2016. SK telesys has come to secure the
required funds for its continued business model (BM) innovation with the
sell-off. In the future, SK telesys plans to grow with a focus on semiconductor
business.
Starting in 2017, SKC strives to focus on BM innovation for making a
foray into new future-oriented promising business sectors, such as mobility,
semiconductors, eco-friendliness through daring business structure
reorganization, and more efficient asset operations.
Last year SKC set mobility material business as its growth engine by
taking over a manufacturer of copper foil, a core material for secondary batteries,
and renaming it SK nexilis. SK nexilis plans to enhance its copper foil
production capacity to more than 200,000 tons/year, the highest capacity in the
world, by 2025, by starting to expand production bases in Malaysia and Europe
this year.
Looking at similar business structure reorganizations carried out by SKC
in the past, it split off its chemical business and established a joint venture
with a state-run petroleum business in Kuwait to set a foothold for global
expansion. It also sold off its equity in SKC kolon PI, a colored film manufacturer,
and SK bioland, the No.1 manufacturer of natural materials of cosmetics in the
country, to secure funds for future investments.
SKC and SK telesys plan to accelerate their BM innovation, including
focusing on semiconductor business, using the funds secured through the
sell-off. Last year SKC took a series of steps to enhance its overall business
efficiency including conversion of SKC solmics, the No.1 business in the
country in fine ceramics, a raw material for high-precision parts, into a wholly-owned
subsidiary, and having the conductor material/parts business integrated into SKC
solmics.
2021-06-24
To Accelerate Growth, SKC solmics to Integrate All SKC’s Semiconductor Materials and Parts Business
● To make in-kind investment following the acquisition of 100% stake in SKC solmics in early December and maximize synergistic effects through concentration strategies ● To promote BM innovation in semiconductor materials and parts business with focus placed on the enhancement of CMP pad, blank mask, and cleaning business SKC (CEO Lee Wan-jae) integrates its semiconductor materials and parts business into SKC solmics, a 100% subsidiary of SKC specializing in semiconductor equipment and parts. SKC, which has been promoting BM innovation in the semiconductor field, has decided to integrate its semiconductor materials and parts business into SKC solmics that will accelerate business growth in the sector by concentrating on the CMP pad, blank mask, and cleaning business. At a BOD meeting held on the 23rd, SKC decided to invest in SKC solmics in-kind for its semiconductor materials and parts business, including CMP pads, blank masks, and wet chemicals, at the assessed value of KRW 151.3 billion. SKC is planning to complete necessary preliminary procedures such as a court approval decision and a business combination report by the first quarter of next year. Then SKC will receive 80.94 million new shares issued by SKC solmics and all the relevant procedures will be completed. SKC made SKC solmics a 100% subsidiary in the second half of the year, laying the foundation for business growth in the relevant sector through integration: Following the resolution to integrate SKC solmics as a wholly owned subsidiary, SKC conducted a tender offer and comprehensive stock exchange for an external 42.3% stake. On December 8, SKC acquired all the relevant external shares to complete the internalization of the subsidiary. SKC solmics has been showing a trend of improving earnings this year. By the end of the third quarter of this year, the company earned KRW 130.4 billion in sales, close to the previous year's annual sales of KRW 138.8 billion. Its operating profit of KRW 12 billion during the three quarters far exceeded the previous year's annual total of KRW 7.6 billion. Given the recent semiconductor big cycle, SKC solmics' annual earnings improvement is expected to increase significantly this year. Following the integration, SKC solmics will continue to secure professional capabilities and expand its business as SKC’s subsidiary devoted to the semiconductor sector. SKC solmics, which has been focusing on semiconductor process components including silicon, quartz, alumina, and silicon carbide, has already begun expanding its business portfolio: In April, it declared its advance into semiconductor parts/equipment cleaning business and is getting ready to complete a cleaning plant in Wuxi, China and start business in the sector next year. SKC solmics will maximize synergy and accelerate growth on the back of in-kind investment from SKC, which has focused on strengthening its semiconductor business since entering the CMP pad business in 2016. Last year, SKC started localizing high-end blank masks used for engraving electronic circuit patterns on semiconductor wafers. At the end of last year, it completed the construction of a production plant in Cheonan, Korea, for which it is now promoting the customer certification. Next to the blank mask factory, SKC is building the second CMP pad factory for the semiconductor planarization process. The factory, with the production capacity twice as big as the first factory, will kick off production in the first half of next year. The company is also increasing its product range: Following the localization of products for the tungsten process in 2016, it succeeded in localizing products used for the kappa process last year and those used for the oxide process this year.An SKC official said, "Once SKC solmics and SKC's semiconductor materials and parts businesses are integrated, synergistic effects will be maximized in the areas of new business ideas, marketing, and R&D," adding “SKC solmics will continue to grow as a specialized subsidiary in the semiconductor field by securing unrivaled capabilities in semiconductor materials and parts business with particular focus on the CMP pad, blank mask, and cleaning business.”[SKC will integrate its semiconductor materials and parts business into SKC solmics which will accelerate corporate growth centering on the CMP pad, blank mask, and cleaning business. The picture shows an advanced CMP pad quality inspection process.][SKC will integrate its semiconductor materials and parts business into SKC solmics which will accelerate corporate growth centering on the CMP pad, blank mask, and cleaning business. The picture shows a high-end blank mask.]
2020-12-23