During South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol's state visit to the Netherlands, leaders from Samsung Electronics and SK Group, including Lee Jae-yong, visited ASML and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for various semiconductor collaborations. The MOU calls for the establishment of a research and development center, as well as research on hydrogen reuse technologies and talent development.
According to Hankyung and Chosun Biz in South Korea, Samsung and ASML reently inked an MOU at the ASML headquarters in the Netherlands. They will invest KRW1 trillion (US$7.6 billion) to develop and jointly operate a next-generation semiconductor R&D center beginning in 2024. Park Chun-sul, Chief of the Economic Office of the South Korean Presidential Office, announced that the government will provide comprehensive support for the research center's development and functioning.
SK Hynix will work with ASML to develop hydrogen reuse technology for use in extreme ultraviolet (EUV) equipment. To prevent tin oxidation, EUV lithography equipment involves the use of a carbon dioxide laser to impact liquid tin droplets to form a light source. If the related technology is effectively commercialized, each EUV device might save about KRW16.5 billion per year in costs.
The two countries have agreed to work together to develop future semiconductor talent. South Korea will be represented by organizations such as the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Chung-Ang University, and firms such as Samsung and SK Hynix. Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), Imec in Belgium, ASML, ASM, and NXP will all be represented in the Netherlands. The purpose is to train 500 advanced professionals, including master's and doctoral degree holders.
President Yoon Suk-yeol stated that the South Korean government is committed to improving direct contact between the two countries and will provide all necessary support to ensure the project's success. The goal is to strengthen the South Korean-Dutch semiconductor relationship. Yoon Suk-yeol, Lee Jae-yong, and Chey Tae-won also inspected ASML's 2-nanometer semiconductor new-generation EUV equipment production line during their visit, marking ASML's first public disclosure of its cleanroom to outside parties.
The collaboration between South Korea and the Netherlands in the semiconductor industry has matured into a strategic alliance, according to Minister Lee Jong-ho of South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT). He believes that this collaboration will benefit South Korean industries in procuring EUV equipment from ASML.