- The Korea Herald reported that mask blanks have been included in Korea’s list of 20 key materials
- A mask blank is a substrate for a photomask, a glass plate onto which a circuit pattern is drawn
- SKC is also establishing a subsidiary in China
SKC, as per a recent report, is going to start mass-production of mask blanks used in semiconductors starting this year. South Korean companies rely on Japan-based suppliers to source majority of mask blanks.
The company, a subsidiary of Korea-headquartered SK Hynix, had invested $39.4 million in developing a mask blank plant in 2018. This plant is said to be completed now. SKC might start manufacturing mask blanks anytime soon.
A mask blank is a substrate for a photomask, a glass plate onto which a circuit pattern is drawn. Mask blanks have been included in Korea’s list of 20 key materials.
SKC is establishing a subsidiary in China
SKC Solmics, SKC’s affiliate specializing in semiconductor parts and materials, is expanding its semiconductor cleaning business to China. SKC Solmics launched its cleaning business, which involves removing foreign substances from semiconductor equipment and parts. The company dais that it had decided to enter the Chinese market this year to expand its business in the global market.
Semiconductor cleaning is a process of removing foreign substances by cleaning various kinds of equipment and parts needed for semiconductor production. In semiconductor processes, even a very small amount of foreign substances can affect the yield and quality greatly. As such, semiconductor manufacturers clean the equipment and parts regularly before reusing them.
The importance of the cleaning process has increased as the semiconductor circuits became nanoscopic. The market size is rapidly growing accordingly. According to SKC’s internal survey, the global market is expected to grow from 1.2 trillion won in 2020 to two trillion won in 2025.
“The cleaning business is large, and it has high growth potential. SKC Solmics will stabilize its business in China quickly and enter the global market based on its cleaning business know-how accumulated for over 16 years,” an SKC official said.
