Applied Materials sued by Chinese competitor, accusing it of stealing industrial secrets.
Beijing E-Town Semiconductor Technology (hereinafter referred to as E-Town) announced in a filing with the Shanghai Stock Exchange that it has filed a lawsuit against Applied Materials with the Beijing Intellectual Property Court, Bloomberg News reported on the 14th.
In this document, E-Town claimed that Applied Materials illegally acquired, used, and leaked its core technologies related to the application of plasma sources in the semiconductor wafer surface treatment process.
According to the documents, Applied Materials hired two employees from Matson, a wholly owned subsidiary of Etown, in the United States, who had access to Etown’s proprietary plasma technology.
YMT Completes Songdo R&D Center, Begins Research on Next-Generation Semiconductor Materials
YMT has completed construction of a research and development (R&D) center in Songdo International City and will begin full-scale research on next-generation semiconductor packaging materials. The Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority held a completion ceremony at the Songdo Advanced Industry Cluster (B) on the 13th and announced that the center will serve as a research hub for future strategic fields such as semiconductors, displays, and bio-metal materials.
The center, which began construction in June 2023 and was completed in two years, is a six-story building with one basement level (land area of 9,924.4 m2) and will conduct research on YMT’s proprietary technologies, including electroless copper foil and core technologies for glass substrates.
NVIDIA agrees to pay 15% of its semiconductor sales revenue to the US government in an unprecedented agreement.
The Financial Times (FT) reported on the 10th (local time) that American artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductor companies Nvidia and AMD have signed an agreement to pay the U.S. government 15% of their semiconductor sales revenue. Citing sources familiar with the matter and a government official, the FT reported that the two companies reached this agreement on the condition that they secure export licenses to the Chinese market.
Accordingly, Nvidia must pay 15% of the sales revenue of the China-exclusive chip H20 to the U.S. government, and AMD must also pay 15% of the sales revenue of the MI308.
The Trump administration is pursuing a stake acquisition in Intel, a beleaguered company.
The Donald Trump administration is reportedly seeking to acquire a stake in US semiconductor company Intel. This move is interpreted as an attempt to leverage Intel’s financial difficulties to expand its influence in the semiconductor industry, a key industry.
Bloomberg News reported on the 14th (local time), citing sources, that the Trump administration was negotiating with Intel in this manner. The specific percentage of the stake to be sold was not disclosed. However, Intel reportedly plans to use a portion of the proceeds from the sale to fund the construction of a foundry (semiconductor contract manufacturing) plant currently under construction in Ohio.
Hanul Materials Science to Establish HBM Packaging Material Production Facility at Sejong Plant
Hanul Materials Science announced on the 12th that it will build a production facility for key materials for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) packaging in the Jeonui Industrial Complex in Sejong. The company explained that it has finalized a contract with a construction company, aiming to obtain approval for use of the Sejong plant, currently under construction, within the year.
The Sejong plant, with a site area of 5,470 pyeong (approximately 18,000 sq ft) and a total floor area of 3,436 pyeong (approximately 11,000 sq ft), was initially designed to produce semiconductor patterning materials. However, to address the rapidly growing demand for HBM (high-bandwidth memory) in the era of artificial intelligence (AI), the company decided to add a production process for core packaging materials. The core HBM packaging materials to be produced in this process have demanding physical, chemical, and electrical properties, and thermal stability is crucial.
Han & Co. is pursuing the sale of its semiconductor component business, Solmics.
Private equity fund manager Hahn & Company (Han & Co.) is pushing for the sale of semiconductor parts company Solmics, about a year and a half after acquiring it.
According to financial investment industry sources on the 11th, Han & Co. recently selected TKG Taekwang as the preferred bidder for the sale of Solmix and has entered into detailed negotiations. While the sale price has not been finalized, industry sources estimate it to be around 500 billion won.
Solmics, originally the fine ceramics division of SK Enpulse, was acquired by Han & Company in February of last year for approximately 330 billion won and subsequently rebranded as its current name. Solmics manufactures silicon and quartz components used in semiconductor manufacturing.
Taesung Begins Supplying TGV Etching Equipment for Glass Substrates
Taesung, a specialized wet equipment company for printed circuit boards (PCBs) and semiconductor substrates, announced on the 8th that it held a ceremony to ship the first TGV (Through Glass Via) alkaline etching equipment for glass substrates, developed for the first time in Korea.
The newly shipped equipment utilizes Taesung’s proprietary alkaline-based precision wet etching technology, enabling extremely small taper angles, low sidewall roughness, and excellent dimensional accuracy during micro-TGV processing. This is essential for high-density, high-aspect-ratio TGV design, and ensures high reliability in compatibility with post-processing processes such as metallization.
Lotte EVSIS meets with Vietnamese delegation to collaborate on electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
Lotte Innovate’s electric vehicle charging subsidiary, EVSIS, announced on the 14th that it had discussed expanding electric vehicle charging infrastructure with Hanoi, Vietnam. EVSIS met with a Hanoi delegation the previous morning at the Lotte Building in Sogong-dong, Seoul, and shared its experience building electric vehicle charging stations, operational strategies, and technological solutions.
The meeting was attended by key officials, including Hanoi Deputy Mayor Truong Viet Dung, who is in charge of high-tech and investment.
The world’s first semi-solid-state battery electric vehicle receives sales approval in China.
Automotive media outlet Electrek reported on the 13th (local time) that the ‘MG4’, the first mass-produced electric vehicle equipped with a semi-solid battery, received sales approval from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) this week.
According to regulatory documents, the MG4’s semi-solid-state battery model will feature a single 120kW front-mounted electric motor, just like the other models.
MG Motor, a brand under China’s state-owned SAIC Motor, began taking pre-orders for its MG4 electric car earlier this month. Prices start at 73,800 yuan (approximately $12,500 USD), and the semi-solid-state battery model will be unveiled in September, the company announced.
Water to Install 284 Electric Vehicle Rapid Chargers at 51 Highway Rest Areas
Bright Energy Partners, a domestic electric vehicle rapid charging infrastructure operator (CPO), announced on the 14th that its rapid charging station brand ‘Water’ has completed the Korea Expressway Corporation highway rest area charging infrastructure construction project in 2024.
This completion marks the completion of four remaining sites from the 2024 public offering: Water Gimhae Geumgwan Gaya Rest Area (Changwon-bound), Water Gimhae Geumgwan Gaya Rest Area (Gijang-bound), Water Jangyu Rest Area (Seobusan-bound), and Water Jinyeong Rest Area (Suncheon-bound). With this, Water now operates 206 rapid chargers at 46 highway rest areas operated by the Korea Expressway Corporation. Including rest areas on privately funded sections, such as the Western Inland Expressway, Water now operates a total of 284 rapid chargers at 51 highway rest areas nationwide.
GM’s Ford also equipped with LFP batteries
According to industry sources on the 14th, Ford will launch a new midsize electric pickup truck equipped with LFP batteries in 2027. The current full-size electric pickup truck, the F-150 Lightning, is equipped with ternary batteries. While LFP batteries offer lower performance and range than ternary batteries, they are believed to have been chosen to lower the price.
GM also plans to equip its second-generation Bolt electric vehicle, which was discontinued in December 2023, with LFP batteries.
POSCO FutureM to Promote LFP Cathode Materials for ESS
POSCO Future M announced on the 11th that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Chinese precursor company CNGR and will pursue a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cathode material business for energy storage systems (ESS).
CNGR’s Korean subsidiary, Pino, also participated in this MOU. Under the agreement, the three companies agreed to cooperate on building a production facility for LFP cathode materials for ESS and joint marketing.
POSCO Future M signed a joint venture agreement (JVA) with CNGR in 2023 to collaborate on precursor production and established CNP Advanced Materials Technology the following year. With this MOU, the joint venture, CNP Advanced Materials Technology, has expanded the scope of cooperation beyond precursors to include LFP cathode material production.
LG Chem Wins US CAMX Power Cathode Material Patent Invalidation Trial
LG Chem has won a patent invalidation trial filed against CAMX with the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. This decision came approximately two years and four months after the invalidation trial was filed in April 2023. POSCO Future M also participated in the trial as a party and supported the invalidation of the CAMX patent.
The invalidated patent pertains to CAMX’s cathode material manufacturing technology, which reduces cobalt usage while maintaining cathode material performance. It is known to be a core patent of “GEMX,” CAMX’s cathode material manufacturing patent platform.
LG Chem countered that the patent in question is identical to the CAMX prior patent whose validity period has expired, and that it has been extending the validity period by continuously applying for the patent.
Cathode materials market grew 40% in the first half of the year, but Korea and Japan’s market share remained in the single digits.
According to market research firm SNE Research on the 12th, the total load of cathode materials used in the global electric vehicle (EV, PHEV, HEV) market from January to June of this year was approximately 593,800 tons, a 40.8% increase compared to the same period last year, continuing a solid growth trend.
Looking at market share by company, Shanshan (137,400 tons) and BTR (115,000 tons) are leading the global cathode material market, taking first and second place, respectively.
Although Korean companies’ market share remains at around 2.8%, they are actively entering the market by expanding collaboration with major cell manufacturers, centered around POSCO and Daejoo Electronic Materials.
Tesla prepares to test robotaxi service in New York
On the 13th (local time), the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that Tesla is currently recruiting data experts in New York, indicating that it is preparing for driving tests.
Tesla is advertising in Flushing, Queens, New York, looking for motivated employees to drive prototype vehicles.
They will reportedly work on Tesla’s Autopilot team, collecting video and audio data needed for autonomous driving software.
SOS Labs Enters NVIDIA’s Autonomous Driving Ecosystem
SOS Lab announced on the 14th that it has been selected as an official partner for the lidar sensor division of NVIDIA’s autonomous driving and robotics software platform ‘NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Orin’.
According to the company, SOS Lab is the first Korean company to be named an official NVIDIA partner in key autonomous driving sensor fields, including lidar, cameras, radar, and global navigation systems (GNSS). This appointment is expected to further accelerate SOS Lab’s global expansion.
Saesoltech and Daon I&C Sign MOU for Joint Development of Defense-Sector Encryption Modules
Saesoltech, a company specializing in autonomous driving and connected car security solutions, announced on the 14th that it recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with swarm drone specialist Daon I&C for the ‘joint development and business expansion of the Defense Encryption Module (KCMVP)’.
The two companies have agreed to jointly research and develop (R&D) an encryption module based on domestic security technology. The goal is to meet the security requirements of military drones and enhance their technological reliability and competitiveness.
Saesoltech’s “SSCrypto v1.0” encryption module has received certification from the National Intelligence Service’s Korea Cryptographic Module Verification Program (KCMVP). It boasts high security and ultra-high-speed performance, making it ideal for use in security-sensitive areas such as national defense and the public sector.
BOE’s 14-year and 8-month expulsion from the US
OLED panels manufactured by BOE, China’s leading display company, are expected to be banned from the US market for the next 14 years and 8 months. The US International Trade Commission (ITC) issued a preliminary ruling on the strong sanctions in a lawsuit filed by Samsung Display in October 2023 against BOE, alleging that the company “misappropriated OLED trade secrets,” the agency confirmed on the 13th.
BOE’s small OLEDs are currently entering the US market as replacement parts for Apple’s iPhone 16 series smartphones.
Hanchem posts record second-quarter results, driven by balanced growth in OLED and semiconductors
Hanchem announced on the 13th that its second-quarter sales reached 10.96 billion won, a 19.7% increase year-over-year. This represents the highest quarterly sales ever and a roughly 38% increase compared to the previous quarter.
By sector, the OLED division recorded cumulative sales of KRW 15.66 billion through the second quarter, up 34.7% from the previous quarter. Other materials divisions, including catalysts, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and defense, drove the company’s performance record, posting cumulative sales of KRW 3.13 billion, up 57% from the previous quarter.
LGD’s display panel prices recover to $1,000 per unit for the first time in six quarters.
According to the semi-annual report released by LG Display on the 14th, the display panel selling price in the second quarter of this year was recorded at $1,056.
Since the display panel price reached $1,064 in the fourth quarter of 2023, it has remained in the $700-$800 range. In the first quarter of this year alone, the price was $804.
Source: kipost.net