Cymer, the world`s biggest company specializing in Eximer light source for semiconductor lithography processing is building a local factory in Korea. During last weekend, Cymer Korea, a Korean corporation of American Cymer, held ground-breaking ceremony with the participation of the president of American Cymer and relevant people in a new factory site in Pyeongtaek, Kyeonggi-do.
The construction of the Cymer factory will be completed by September, with 9918 square meters of site and buildings of 3306 square meters. The factory is the first overseas factory built by Cymer and local Cymer corporation in Korea, Japan, and Taiwan competed to secure the factory in their territory.
After construction is completed by September, the factory will test produce chamber for DUV laser, a core module of Eximer light source for semiconductor lithography processing, by November and put production lines of annual volumes of 35o units in full operation from December.
Chamber for DUV laser is a core part that allows circuit patterns to be formed on a wafer by providing laser light source for lithography equipment such as DUV stepper and scanner.
"As laser chamber can be produced at a domestic factory, domestic element manufacturers will be able to cut cost and reduce the time for delivery," said Paeng Jae-won, the president of Cymer Korea, "since Cymer Korea will export those produced at the new factory to Japan, Taiwan, China, and Malaysia, it will help to gain foreign currency."
He also added that in addition to chamber, the factory would equip itself with overall production capacity to assemble and manufacture total systems, thus making a factory in Korea a production base to cover the Asian region.
In the meantime, Cymer, a company located in San Diego, America, is the world`s leading element company to manufacture and produce light source for DUV stepper and scanner.
It has provided some 2,000 pieces of laser equipment for element manufacturers worldwide, 270 out of which were provided to domestic companies including Samsung Electronics, Hynix, Dongbu Electronics, and Anam Semiconductor Inc.