In Cooperation with TEMC and POSCO
SK Hynix announced on Oct. 5 that it has localized neon gas, an essential raw material for semiconductor production, for the first time among Korean companies.
The company plans to ramp up the use of localized neon gas to 100 percent by 2024.
SK Hynix explained that it has found a way to produce neon gas in cooperation with TEMC, which produces gases for semiconductor production, and POSCO. Until now, Korean semiconductor companies have relied entirely on imported neon over the past several years. For the past few years, there has been a risk of instability in neon gas supply due to the unstable situations in major overseas production regions.
By banding together with TEMC and POSCO, SK Hynix, developed a method to produce neon at low cost by utilizing existing facilities.
Neon is the main material for excimer laser gas used in a semiconductor lithography process. Excimer laser gas generates an excimer laser, which is ultraviolet light and has a very short wavelength. The excimer laser is used to engrave a fine circuit on a wafer. Although neon accounts for 95 percent of excimer laser gas, it is a rare resource with only 0.00182 percent in the air.
Neon gas is produced by POSCO and is processed by TEMC before being supplied to SK Hynix.
SK Hynix introduced homegrown neon to its semiconductor lithography process in April this year. It has replaced 40 percent of its neon use with domestically produced neon and plans to boost the ratio to 100 percent by 2024.