[尹대통령 네덜란드 국빈 방문]
President Yong, Chairman Lee Jae-yong and Chairman Chey Tae-won
Visit to ASML, a core equipment company in the Netherlands
This is the first time the ‘clean room’ has been revealed to a foreign leader.
President Yoon Seok-yeol, who is on a state visit to the Netherlands, visited the ‘clean room’ at the headquarters of ASML, the world’s only company that produces extreme ultraviolet (EUV) exposure equipment for semiconductors, on the 12th (local time) along with Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong and SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won. President Yoon inspected ASML’s exposure equipment equipped with 2nm (nanometer, 1nm is 1 billionth of a meter) process technology, which is called a ‘game changer’ in the future semiconductor market. Amid analysis that the company can dominate a market worth 660 trillion won if it gains the upper hand in 2nm technology, the cutting-edge foundry process, the president and heads of key semiconductor companies have come together to pursue 2nm technology, in which Taiwan’s TSMC is considered superior.
On this day, President Yoon visited ASML in Feldhoven along with King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, ASML CEO Peter Beninck, Chairman Lee, and Chairman Choi and said, “We will promote close cooperation between the two countries for innovation in the semiconductor industry and stabilization of the global supply chain.” “I ask you to do so,” he said. This was President Yoon’s first visit to a company during his overseas trip, and the first time that ASML’s core facilities, known as ‘Super Eul’ for its leading technological capabilities, were opened to a foreign leader.
A senior official in the Presidential Office said, “Samsung Electronics and Taiwan’s TSMC have just entered the 3nm process,” and added, “If someone takes over the equipment that can do the 2nm process, they will be at a very advantageous position.” The idea is that if Korea, a semiconductor manufacturing powerhouse, and the Netherlands, a materials and equipment leader, form a ‘semiconductor alliance’ and Korea takes the lead in ASML core equipment, it will be able to occupy an advantageous position in the ‘game-changing’ 2nm technology competition. President Yoon said on the 11th, “With this visit as an opportunity, the semiconductor cooperation between Korea and the Netherlands will now be upgraded to a ‘semiconductor alliance.’”
Samsung Electronics decided to jointly invest 1 trillion won with ASML, sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to establish a next-generation semiconductor technology research and development (R&D) center, and jointly develop ultra-fine manufacturing processes. SK Hynix signed an MOU with ASML to jointly develop EUV hydrogen gas recycling technology. The Korean and Dutch governments signed an MOU on cutting-edge ‘Semiconductor Academy Cooperation’ and decided to jointly foster future semiconductor manpower.
| 2nm (nanometer·1nm is 1 billionth of a meter) |
| This means that the line width of the semiconductor circuit is 2nm. The narrower the circuit line width, the more chips can be produced from one wafer, improving the yield. Samsung Electronics and Taiwan’s TSMC have already succeeded in mass producing 3nm process products and are currently competing for 2nm. |
ASML unveils core facility ‘Clean Room’ for the first time
“Advantages of equipment procurement through semiconductor alliance”
Korea and the Netherlands “Nurturing future talent together”
dutch eastPoe invitation dinner meeting President Yoon Seok-yeol, who is on a state visit to the Netherlands, invites local compatriots to a dinner meeting at a hotel in Amsterdam on the afternoon of the 11th (local time) and gives an encouraging speech. President Yoon said at the event, “The semiconductor cooperation between Korea and the Netherlands will now be upgraded to a ‘semiconductor alliance.’” Amsterdam = NewsisPresident Yoon Seok-yeol, who is seeking to upgrade Korea-Dutch semiconductor cooperation to the level of an alliance, visited the headquarters of semiconductor company ASML, a four-hour round trip drive from Amsterdam, immediately after the official state welcome ceremony and friendly luncheon on the 12th (local time). Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong and SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won also attended. The President’s Office explained that the president and business leaders are deeply aware of the importance of ASML, which is called ‘Super Eul’ as it is the only company in the world that produces extreme ultraviolet (EUV) exposure equipment, which is essential for the ‘exposure process’ that draws circuits on semiconductor wafers.
In particular, at a time when semiconductor companies in Korea, the U.S. and Taiwan have begun competition in 2nm (nanometer, 1nm is 1 billionth of a meter) technology, which is the cutting-edge foundry (consignment production) process, President Yoon and company heads’ visit to ASML’s core facilities was a ‘game changer’. It is evaluated that the company has shown its will to pursue technology for the so-called ‘2nm’. President Yoon held a ‘semiconductor strategy meeting’ with his staff on the private plane heading to the Netherlands. In the meeting that lasted about two hours, semiconductor-related discussions continued for about an hour, or half. This is why this trip is simply called the ‘semiconductor tour.’
President Yoon visited ASML in Feldhoven along with King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, ASML CEO Peter Beninck, Chairman Lee, and Chairman Choi. President Yoon personally signed a semiconductor wafer engraved with a phrase commemorating his visit to ASML.
President Yoon inspected the ‘clean room’, a core facility that produces EUV exposure equipment. Together with Chairman Lee and Chairman Choi, we also inspected extreme ultraviolet ray exposure equipment capable of up to the 2nm process. Currently, the world’s most advanced mass production technology is 3nm. In a situation where Taiwanese company TSMC is evaluated to be ahead in the 2nm competition between global companies that has already begun, it has revealed its will to catch up with technology. The clean room is a next-generation EUV production site that has never been revealed in full, and was unveiled for the first time in conjunction with President Yoon’s visit.
nm refers to the linewidth of a semiconductor circuit, and as the narrower the linewidth, the power consumption decreases and the processing speed increases, 2nm is called a ‘game changer’ in the 660 trillion won market. In particular, ASML’s next-generation EUV equipment, ‘High Numerical Aperture (High NA)’, is essential for mass production of 2nm-based semiconductors. The Financial Times (FT) reported on the 11th that TSMC, the world’s No. 1 foundry, appears to have the upper hand in the 2nm sector, but also reported expectations that Samsung Electronics and Intel have an opportunity to narrow the gap. Lee Jong-ho, Minister of Science and ICT, emphasized in a briefing, “The Korea-Dutch semiconductor alliance will give our country an advantage in procuring equipment (EUV) more flexibly than before.”
President Yoon said on this day, “The technological innovation led by ASML is becoming a powerful driving force for the fourth industrial revolution around the world.” He then expressed gratitude to Dutch semiconductor companies such as ASML and ASM for expanding their investments, including building new facilities for production, research and development (R&D), and talent training in Korea.
At a meeting of semiconductor companies held under the theme of the leaders of both countries, President Yoon said, “I hope that this will serve as an opportunity to strengthen the semiconductor alliance between Korea and the Netherlands,” and added, “I ask for close cooperation between the two countries to innovate the semiconductor industry and stabilize the global supply chain.” A large number of representatives from Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, ASML (exposure equipment), ASM (Netherlands, deposition equipment), Zeiss (Germany, optical systems), and IMEC (Belgium, semiconductor research institute) attended the meeting.
In addition to Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix signing a business agreement (MOU) with ASML, the two governments signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation for the Advanced Semiconductor Academy. At a time when the global shortage of manpower in the semiconductor field is worsening, the two countries have decided to foster future semiconductor talent together. On our side, three semiconductor specialized graduate schools, including KAIST, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), and Sungkyunkwan University, as well as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, are participating. They take a special lecture on cutting-edge semiconductor process technology from a semiconductor scholar at Eindhoven University of Technology and participate in the ‘Semiconductor Solverathon’ to solve industry challenges. Park Chun-seop, Senior Secretary to the President for Economic Affairs, said, “Growing talent together and sharing know-how is something that only a true semiconductor alliance can do.”
Amsterdam =
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.