Samsung Electronics is accelerating the localization of materials and equipment used for semiconductor lithography.
The company announced on October 5 that it had successfully completed a certification test for argon fluoride (ArFi) track equipment developed by its subsidiary SEMES.
Passing the qualification test means that the equipment will be applied to mass production lines soon. The equipment is expected to be applied to Samsung Electronics’ semiconductor lines in 2023.
A lithography process prints circuits with light on round wafers. It is considered one of the most important operations in a semiconductor production process. However, most of the materials and equipment used for lithography are imported from overseas.
Tracking equipment evenly applies a material called photoresist (PR) to a wafer before placing it in a lithography machine. Korean chipmakers depend on foreign companies for this equipment, just as they depend on foreign lithography equipment. Tokyo Electron (TEL), Japan’s largest manufacturer of semiconductor equipment, is the global market leader in track equipment.
Samsung Electronics is expected to accelerate the localization of semiconductor production equipment and materials. SEMES is also developing track equipment for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, which requires more advanced technology and is currently supplied by Japanese companies.