Samsung Hits Milestone with New Semiconductor Research Facility

Samsung’s Bold Step into Semiconductor Innovation

Samsung Electronics just made a splash with its latest announcement: the company held a tool-in ceremony for its brand-new semiconductor research and development complex, dubbed NRD-K, at the Giheung campus. This isn’t just another building; it’s a significant leap into the future of technology. With around 100 guests, including key suppliers and customers, in attendance, the atmosphere was buzzing with excitement as they celebrated this major milestone.

A State-of-the-Art Facility

So, what’s the big deal about NRD-K? in 2022, this state-of-the-art facility is set to become a crucial hub for Samsung’s memory, system LSI, and Foundry semiconductor research and development. Imagine having all the advanced infrastructure needed for research and product-level verification all under one roof. Talk about efficiency! Samsung has plans to invest around KRW 20 trillion by 2030, covering a sprawling 109,000 square meters. Plus, there’s an R&D-dedicated line that’s slated to kick off operations in mid-2025.

Accelerating Innovation

Young Hyun Jun, Vice Chairman and Head of the Device Solutions Division at Samsung, shared his vision for NRD-K: “This facility will bolster our development speed, enabling a virtuous cycle to accelerate fundamental research on next-generation technology and mass production.” It’s a bold statement, and it speaks volumes about Samsung’s commitment to innovation. The Giheung campus isn’t just a location; it’s where Samsung’s 50-year history in semiconductors began, and now it’s poised to pave the way for the next century of advancements.

Park Gwang-Sun, head of Applied Materials Korea, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the importance of partnerships in driving innovation. “At a time when the importance of win-win partnerships is greater than ever, Applied Materials is committed to accelerating innovation velocity through deep collaboration with Samsung Electronics,” he remarked. It’s clear that collaboration is key in this rapidly evolving industry.

A Legacy of Innovation

Samsung’s Giheung campus isn’t just another tech site; it’s historic. It’s the birthplace of the world’s first 64-megabit DRAM, launched back in 1992, which marked the start of Samsung’s semiconductor leadership. With the establishment of the new R&D facility, we can expect developments in process technology and manufacturing tools that will keep this legacy alive and thriving.

The NRD-K complex is set to feature equipment like High NA extreme ultra-violet (EUV) lithography and new material deposition tools. These innovations are aimed at speeding up the development of next-gen memory semiconductors, including 3D DRAM and V-NAND with over 1,000 layers. Plus, there are plans for wafer bonding infrastructure that will introduce innovative wafer-to-wafer bonding capabilities. Exciting stuff!

Investing in the Future

In a world where staying ahead means investing in R&D, Samsung isn’t holding back. The company poured a record KRW 8.87 trillion into research and development in just the third quarter of this year. This commitment to pushing boundaries is all about securing competitiveness in future technologies, particularly in advanced packaging for high bandwidth memory (HBM) production.

As we look toward the future, it’s clear that Samsung’s NRD-K complex is more than just a building; it’s a beacon of innovation that could reshape the semiconductor landscape for years to come. Are you as excited as we are to see what unfolds next?

Background Information

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About Samsung:

Samsung, a South Korean multinational conglomerate, has established itself as a global leader in various industries, including electronics, technology, and more. Founded in 1938, Samsung's influence spans from smartphones and consumer electronics to semiconductors and home appliances. With a commitment to innovation, Samsung has contributed products like the Galaxy series of smartphones, QLED TVs, and SSDs that have revolutionized the way we live and work.

  

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Technology Explained

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EUV: Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography (EUV or EUVL) is an advanced semiconductor manufacturing technique that employs extremely short wavelengths of light in the extreme ultraviolet spectrum to create intricate patterns on silicon wafers. Utilizing a wavelength around 13.5 nanometers, significantly shorter than traditional lithography methods, EUVL enables the production of smaller and more densely packed integrated circuits, enhancing the performance and efficiency of modern microprocessors and memory chips.

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Foundry: A foundry is a dedicated manufacturing facility focused on producing semiconductor components like integrated circuits (ICs) for external clients. These foundries are pivotal in the semiconductor industry, providing diverse manufacturing processes and technologies to create chips based on designs from fabless semiconductor firms or other customers. This setup empowers companies to concentrate on innovative design without needing substantial investments in manufacturing infrastructure. Some well-known foundries include TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company), Samsung Foundry, GlobalFoundries, and UMC (United Microelectronics Corporation).

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NAND: NAND technology is a type of non-volatile memory that is used in many computer applications. It is a type of flash memory that is used to store data in a non-volatile manner, meaning that the data is not lost when the power is turned off. NAND technology is used in many computer applications, such as solid-state drives, USB flash drives, digital cameras, and memory cards. It is also used in many embedded systems, such as cell phones, tablets, and other consumer electronics. NAND technology is a reliable and cost-effective way to store data, making it a popular choice for many computer applications.

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