ASML halts equipment maintenance in China… “China’s semiconductor industry will inevitably be hit”
Bloomberg News reported on the 29th (local time), citing anonymous sources, that Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoop is likely not to renew ASML’s license to provide certain services and spare parts in China, which expires this year.
It is expected that the service interruption will also be applied to ASML’s deep ultraviolet (DUV) equipment. China, which has been blocked from importing ASML’s EUV exposure equipment due to US regulations, relies on ASML’s DUV equipment to manufacture semiconductors. Bloomberg assessed that this measure could be a major blow to China’s ‘semiconductor rise’, which is fostering the semiconductor industry.
JSR Micro Korea to Establish Semiconductor Materials Plant in Ochang Outer Region
On the 29th, Chungcheongbuk-do signed an investment agreement with Cheongju City, JSR Micro Korea, and Ochang Foreign Investment Zone for the construction of a new semiconductor photoresist production plant.
Under this agreement, JSR Micro Korea will invest in building a new extreme ultraviolet (EUV) photoresist production plant for semiconductors on a 2,000㎡ site in the Ochang outer investment area for three years from this year to 2026.
The EUV photoresist that this company is investing in is a chemical substance that is applied to form a circuit pattern on the surface of a semiconductor wafer. In particular, the metal oxide resist (MOR), an inorganic photoresist for EUV, is a next-generation core technology for ultra-fine semiconductor processes and is expected to contribute to stabilizing the Chungbuk semiconductor industry supply chain.
Intel’s fate is… considering selling the foundry business after 3 years
Bloomberg reported on the 29th (local time), citing sources, that “Intel is discussing various measures to overcome the most difficult period in its 56-year history (since its founding in 1968),” and that “this includes not only the spin-off of the foundry business but also its sale.” The sources said that “the measures reviewed will come out at the board meeting next month,” but “this is not imminent.”
CNBC also cited a source familiar with the matter as saying, “Intel management is considering measures to address the business slump,” adding, “All options are being considered, including spinning off or selling the (foundry) business.”
TKG Huchems enters advanced electronic materials field… Acquires stake in ‘JL Chem’
TKG Huchems in Yeosu National Industrial Complex in South Jeolla Province announced on the 28th that it will begin full-scale entry into the electronic materials business, including semiconductor and display materials.
According to KG Huchems, it has acquired a 50% stake in advanced electronic materials company JL Chem for 60.3 billion won, laying the foundation for advancing into the semiconductor, display, and secondary battery materials markets. The company plans to complete the stake acquisition within October, depending on the results of the review after receiving approval for the business combination report to the Fair Trade Commission.
JLChem is a specialized manufacturing company with synthesis and ultra-high purity refining technology for semiconductor precision chemical materials, and is known to be evaluated in the industry as a company with excellent technological prowess and a stable customer base.
OCI acquires 100% stake in ‘P&O Chemical’… “Strengthening semiconductor materials business”
OCI announced that it held a regular board meeting on the 26th and resolved to acquire all of POSCO’s shares in P&O Chemical, a joint venture established with POSCO Future M.
After receiving approval from the board of directors on that day, OCI immediately signed a stock purchase agreement with POSCO Future M and decided to acquire all of POSCO Future M’s shares in P&O Chemical for 53.7 billion won.
P&O Chemical will be incorporated as an OCI subsidiary after a business combination review following the conclusion of the sales agreement. P&O Chemical is a joint venture established by OCI and POSCO Future M in July 2020 to produce high value-added materials using steel byproducts. OCI holds a 49% stake and POSCO Future M holds a 51% stake.
Japanese public-private semiconductor new material mass production… Strengthening power semiconductor competitiveness
According to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun on the 27th, Japanese semiconductor materials company Resonac Holdings plans to invest approximately 30 billion yen (approximately 270 billion won) to establish a production line for a new material, silicon carbide (SiC) substrate, at its Yamagata Prefecture plant and other locations. The goal is mass production in 2027. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry will also provide up to 10.3 billion yen in subsidies.
Japan is more competitive in power semiconductors than in other semiconductor sectors, but it relies on overseas sources for more than 90% of the SiC substrates used in SiC power semiconductors, which have high power conversion efficiency.
BCNC receives first PO for mass production of CVD-SiC alternative material
BCNC, a semiconductor materials and components specialist, announced on the 27th that it had successfully completed quality testing for its semiconductor etching process component ‘CD9 (boron carbide)’ from global semiconductor company H and received its first PO (purchase order).
According to the company, BCNC will begin mass production of parts using CD9, a boron carbide-based material developed in-house to replace SiC (silicon carbide), and supply them to customers.
BCNC’s CD9 material is a new material based on boron carbide that has better wear resistance than Si (silicon) and SiC (silicon carbide), which are mainly used in oxide etching during the memory production process. SiC has continued to show high growth due to its strong wear resistance compared to Si. However, as the memory becomes more ultra-fine and high-density, the plasma power of the etching process becomes stronger, and the shortcomings of SiC materials are beginning to appear, and accordingly, the need for next-generation new materials that can replace it is increasing.
Benz to provide free E-Class rental for up to 1 year to victims of Cheongna electric car fire
According to the automobile industry on the 29th, Benz Korea announced through the management office of Incheon Cheongna Apartment where an electric vehicle fire occurred on the 1st that it will provide 2024 Benz E200 vehicles free of charge for up to one year to residents whose vehicles were completely destroyed or scrapped in the fire that started in a Benz EQE 350+ vehicle. According to the insurance industry, it is estimated that around 70 vehicles were completely destroyed in this fire.
Benz Korea plans to provide one vehicle per household for a period of ‘one year from the date of delivery’ or ‘30,000 km of driving distance’, whichever comes first.
Kumho HT “First Half Electric Vehicle BMS Sales Up 441% YoY”
Kumho HT, an automotive electronics company, announced on the 29th that its sales of electric vehicle battery management systems (BMS) in the first half of this year reached KRW 21.5 billion, a 441% increase over the same period last year.
According to the company, Kumho HT’s BMS product sales have already surpassed last year’s annual performance in just six months, and are growing rapidly. The company explained that performance growth is expected to accelerate as the government’s recent strengthening of electric vehicle fire prevention measures is expanding the application of BMS by automakers.
Seokyeong AT selected for mass production and commercialization of ultra-light, high-heat dissipation new materials for EV batteries
Nanomaterials specialist company Seokyung AT announced on the 28th that it had been selected by the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy for the mass production and commercialization of ultra-light, high-heat-dissipation new materials for use in electric vehicle and electronic device batteries.
The name of this project, which is being carried out as part of the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology’s Material and Component Industry Technology Development Base Establishment Project, is ‘Verification and Mass Production Performance Evaluation of High Thermal Conductivity Thermal Interface Nano Coating Materials’. The main organization, Seok Kyung AT, will promote mass production and commercialization of ‘ceramic nano compound thermal interface materials (heat dissipation and flame retardant materials)’ together with the joint research and development organization, Catholic University of Korea. The demand company is Nano Team, a company specializing in thermal management materials for electric vehicles.
Lotte Energy Matter Develops Nickel-Plated Foil for Next-Generation All-Solid-State Batteries
Lotte Energy Materials announced on the 27th that it has completed the development of a next-generation copper foil, an all-solid-state nickel-plated foil. Nickel-plated foil is a next-generation material that is made by plating nickel on both sides of an electrolytic copper foil, and it has excellent electrical conductivity and corrosion resistance as an electrode current collector for sulfide-based all-solid-state batteries.
The customized nickel plating foil developed by Lotte Energy Materials can adjust the nickel thickness and copper strength in various ways according to the customer’s needs.
In addition, it has high adhesion to the active material through nickel surface treatment and high corrosion resistance that maintains its original properties and functions without corrosion or discoloration due to chemical reaction.
IL Science succeeds in implementing all-solid-state batteries for space satellites
ILScience announced on the 27th that it has succeeded in implementing a compact solid-state battery suitable as a power source for space satellites.
According to the company, batteries for space satellites require differentiated performance that allows them to operate stably in special space environments. They must have a wide temperature range, stability in ultra-high vacuum, and stability under radiation exposure to operate in harsh space environments.
ILScience has succeeded in implementing performance that allows all-solid-state batteries to operate stably even in extreme environments by utilizing ceramic materials. The company explained that the battery’s performance test results showed that it operated normally in temperatures ranging from -20 to 120℃ and maintained stability even in high vacuum environments of 0.66Pa or less.
Hyundai Mobis Unveils Three Strategies for ‘Development of New Materials for Future Mobility’
Hyundai Mobis is accelerating the development of new materials to be used in future mobility.
This is in line with the policy of actively responding to global environmental regulation trends and further enhancing component competitiveness through the development of high-performance, high-efficiency materials.
On the 27th, Hyundai Mobis unveiled three major material development strategies to strengthen its material capabilities, which are the source of core automobile parts: ▲ sustainable materials ▲ innovative materials ▲ digital materials through implementation of a virtual verification method.
Volkswagen: “Electric Car Battery Production Plan Not Confirmed”
Volkswagen mentioned that the previously announced plan to build an electric vehicle battery factory is not yet confirmed. As the recent stagnation in demand for electric vehicles (chasm) has become prolonged, and related industries have been announcing plans to delay or reduce investment, there is speculation that Volkswagen may also reduce its battery investment plan.
According to foreign media outlets such as CNBC and Reuters, Thomas Schmall, Volkswagen’s chief technology officer (CTO), said in an interview with German media outlet FAS on the 23rd that plans to expand battery production capacity (CAPA) have not been finalized and that the plan will vary depending on demand for electric vehicles. He did not disclose when the battery CAPA plan will be finalized.
Volkswagen planned to secure a maximum electric vehicle battery CAPA of 240 GWh by 2030. To achieve this, the strategy was to have six factories in Europe and have its subsidiary Powerco build a production base with a CAPA of 200 GWh.
Uber invests in UK self-driving car company
Ride-sharing service Uber has decided to invest in Wayve, a British company developing self-driving software.
Uber and Wave announced on the 29th (local time) that they have signed a partnership to “expand Wave’s artificial intelligence (AI) technology into autonomous driving capabilities,” adding that “Uber’s global network will meet Wave’s technology to draw the future together.”
Uber did not disclose the investment amount, but said it was “participating in the process of raising funds from strategic investors that Wave has initiated.” In May, Wave began raising investment with a target of $1 billion (about 1.3349 trillion won), and it is known that SoftBank, Nvidia, and Microsoft have provided funds.
Rideflux to hire double-digit number of new autonomous driving SW engineers
Rideflux, a self-driving software startup, announced on the 30th that it is recruiting new self-driving engineers.
The number of recruits will be in the double digits, and the company plans to hire autonomous driving software engineers in six fields: perception, prediction and planning, control, sensor computing, precision map production, and verification, all of which are necessary for autonomous driving.
Rideflux is an engineer-centered technology company, with 60% of its engineers holding master’s or doctoral degrees, and has a strong team culture with an average annual engineer turnover rate of less than 1%.
Newbility, Autonomous Driving Partnership with Japanese Robot Company ZMP… Entering Japan
Autonomous driving robot service company Newbility announced on the 30th that it has signed a strategic partnership with leading Japanese robot company ZMP. Newbility participated in ‘2024 ZMP World’ held in Tokyo, Japan the previous day and signed a partnership with ZMP and announced a plan for cooperation between the two companies to expand autonomous driving robot services.
ZMP World is an event to share the latest trends in robotics technology and introduce technologies and solutions from ZMP and its partners. Newbility demonstrated its autonomous robot technology following the signing ceremony at ZMP World.
Newbility plans to jointly promote robot service business in various environments in Japan, including country clubs, campgrounds, resorts, buildings, smart cities, airports, and hospitals, as a partner of ZMP’s multi-robot operation platform ‘ROBO-HI’.
‘Lidar Autonomous Driving’ Viewrun Technology Selected as ‘Scale-up Tips’
Viewrun Technology (Viewrun), a LiDAR autonomous driving startup, announced on the 29th that it was finally selected for the Ministry of SMEs and Startups’ ‘Scale-up TIPS’ program.
‘Scale-up Tips’ is a program in which the government provides support when private Tips operators discover and invest in promising small and medium-sized venture companies. When private Tips operators invest more than 1 billion won, the government provides support of up to 2 billion won for investment-type R&D (research and development) and up to 1.2 billion won for three years for investment-linked R&D.
With the selection of Scaleup Tips, Viewrun will receive approximately KRW 1.2 billion in support over three years to accelerate the development of LiDAR and camera sensor fusion solutions for mass production. Viewrun will focus on developing ADAS (Driver Assistance System) solutions based on sensor fusion targeting mass production. It is also pursuing the development of sensor fusion ADAS solutions that enhance safety through sensor redundancy.
LG Innotek’s 40% of Patents Are ‘Battlefields’… “Seizing the Lead in Autonomous Driving Technology”
LG Innotek announced on the 28th that it has applied for a total of 3,500 electrical component patents over the past five years.
Among the battlefield technologies, patents are focused on future technologies related to electric and autonomous vehicles, such as lidar sensors, vehicle cameras, vehicle lighting, and communication modules. The proportion of battlefield patents among all patents is also increasing every year. As of last year, the proportion of battlefield patents has risen to 40%.
LG Innotek is speeding up the acquisition of standard patents. Recently, it registered five international standard patents for electric vehicle communication controllers (EVCC). These include four technologies for determining vehicle charging modes using communication channels and one technology for controlling battery charging. International standard patents are patents for technologies that are essential when applying standard specifications set by standardization organizations such as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) to products. It is also possible to generate revenue through standard patent usage fees.
Display subcontractor `DMS` expands business area to semiconductor equipment
Display equipment specialist DMS is entering the semiconductor equipment business. It is said that the main target is the OLEDOS and semiconductor glass substrate cleaning equipment business, which are highly related to the existing display business, and that discussions with customers in China are currently in progress.
Kim Ki-young, Vice President of DMS, held a press conference at the DMS headquarters in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province on the afternoon of the 28th and announced, “We plan to expand the application of the technological prowess we have acquired in display equipment to the OLEDoS and semiconductor equipment fields.”
DMS is a company established in 1999. It has focused on display equipment business such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). In particular, it has maintained its top position in the industry by exceeding 50% of the global market share in wet process equipment such as cleaning equipment, developing equipment, etching equipment, and peeling equipment since 2022.
Narae Nanotech wins order for 8.6th generation OLED coating equipment from China’s BOE
According to Narae Nanotech on the 30th, it signed a contract to supply coating equipment for BOE’s 8.6th generation OLED factory (B16 line) currently under construction. The contract period is until December 3, 2025, and the contract amount was not disclosed due to a request to protect trade secrets.
The equipment that Narae Nanotech is supplying this time is known to be coating equipment for OLED flexible substrates. Recently, display companies in Korea and China have resumed investment in OLED, and in particular, equipment orders for the construction of 8.6 generation lines are continuing.
Source: kipost.net