[Provided by Gyeongju City]
[Provided by Gyeongju City]

Gyeongju City signed a memorandum of understanding Tuesday with the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute and SK Hynix at the Gyeongju Proton Science Research Center to advance semiconductor radiation reliability evaluation technology using the Gyeongju proton accelerator.

Gyeongju Mayor Joo Nak-young attended the signing ceremony along with Im In-cheol, acting president of the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, SK Hynix Vice President Song Jun-ho and other officials.

The agreement aims to upgrade semiconductor radiation impact assessment technology and expand joint research using the Gyeongju proton accelerator and the Hana research reactor.

The parties plan to jointly pursue shared use of the proton beam, development of semiconductor reliability evaluation technology simulating space and atmospheric radiation environments, and research using high-energy particle beams.

As the AI, autonomous driving and aerospace industries grow, the importance of semiconductors that operate reliably in extreme environments is rising. Radiation impact assessment is considered a key technology for testing and verifying on the ground how radiation environments — such as those in space and near nuclear power plants — affect semiconductors.

The Gyeongju proton accelerator has supported more than 1,200 research projects and over 3,700 researchers to date, with chipmakers including Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix accounting for about 40 percent of total beam service usage.

Once the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute completes a planned performance upgrade of the accelerator to 200 MeV, South Korea will be able to conduct internationally recognized radiation impact assessments and certification tests domestically. That is expected to help companies cut costs and strengthen their technological competitiveness.

"We will build Gyeongju into an advanced science city that leads future strategic industries — including semiconductors, aerospace and next-generation nuclear power — by expanding proton accelerator capabilities and strengthening the research and development foundation," Mayor Joo said.


kbj7653@heraldcorp.com