Fab operation consulting completed at POSTECH's Nano-Convergence Technology Institute

Best practices to be extended to 14 public fabs nationwide

Samsung Electronics' semiconductor (DS) division campus in Hwaseong. [Samsung Electronics]
Samsung Electronics' semiconductor (DS) division campus in Hwaseong. [Samsung Electronics]

Samsung Electronics has successfully completed a public fab operation consulting program at POSTECH's Nano-Convergence Technology Institute, transferring decades of semiconductor fabrication expertise to the research facility. The company plans to extend the best practices identified through the project to 14 public fabs across South Korea to strengthen the country's semiconductor industry ecosystem.

Samsung Electronics' DS division Win-Win Cooperation Center presented the results of the six-month initiative at a performance review held Friday at POSTECH's Nano-Convergence Technology Institute.

The consulting program ran from March through August, during which Samsung transferred its semiconductor fab operation and management know-how to the institute.

Samsung's specialist consultants visited the facility and worked to identify and address key challenges across fab operations, covering safety and environment, on-site management, equipment operation and equipment maintenance.

Drawing on manufacturing expertise accumulated over decades, Samsung led infrastructure improvements tailored to the specific conditions of the public fab environment.

The Nano-Convergence Technology Institute adopted Samsung's on-site improvement methodology to strengthen safety, cleanliness, equipment reliability and process service capabilities.

Samsung, which had previously focused its consulting activities on individual partner companies, expanded its role through this project by contributing to the improvement of public research infrastructure.

The initiative is significant in that it helped raise the operational standards of public fabs shared by small and medium-sized enterprises and research institutions, contributing to the broader strengthening of South Korea's semiconductor ecosystem.

Samsung plans to extend the best practices identified through its consulting work — beginning with KAIST's National NanoFab Center in 2023 and continuing through the current POSTECH engagement — to all 14 institutions belonging to MOAFAB, a public nano-infrastructure network established by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Nano Infrastructure Council.

Ji Hyun-gi, executive vice president and head of Samsung Electronics' DS division Win-Win Cooperation Center, said public nano-fabs are "the core foundation of the K-semiconductor ecosystem, where domestic materials, parts and equipment companies develop and validate new technologies and products." He added that Samsung would "continue contributing to the competitiveness of the entire domestic semiconductor ecosystem by applying the manufacturing innovation know-how accumulated through partner consulting to public nano-fabs."


joze@heraldcorp.com