WONIK QnC is expanding their production capabilities for quartz glass and ceramic parts for semiconductor processing. In addition to large-scale investments in facilities, they are also securing additional manpower. They are attempting to respond to future demand with preemptive investments, even amidst during a downturn of semiconductor growth.
WONIK QnC recently added over 20 personnel into R&D. They will continue to add R&D personnel in the coming year and push for the establishment of a laboratory in the metropolitan area. They began hiring workers for the cleaning division in the 3rd quarter. They will also secure manpower to expand the organization in departments like ceramic production, quality innovation, and HR. They have instituted a HR system this year to continue accumulation of technical experience and know-how by maintaining employment of engineers who have reached the age of retirement through commissioned work. CEO Hongju Baek of WONIK QnC revealed that, “We have connected with colleges in the region to secure outstanding manpower and began an industry-academic collaboration for the R&D collaboration system.”
WONIK QnC will concurrently expand their manpower and investments in semiconductor materials and parts equipment. The company decided to expand their investment in new facilities by 1.5 times from 80 billion KRW to 120 billion KRW this past August. They plan to focus this mostly in the expansion of the quartz production factory at the end of this year. The new factory is set to be a smart factory that takes environmental safety into consideration.
WONIK QnC’s investments are measures in preparation for the future market. Recently, the semiconductor market centered around memory is facing a downturn, but the markets for AI, big data, automobiles, and system semiconductors are expected to continue to grow. Investments for key global foundry factories (fab) continuing have been interpreted to mean that there will be serious demand for semiconductor materials, parts, and equipment starting from 2024~2025. As quartz and ceramics are used in large quantities in semiconductor equipment and manufacturing process, the expansion of fabs will mean that the demand for quartz and ceramic parts will soar. WONIK QnC has judged that failing to invest in manpower and facilities now will make it difficult to respond to future demand. This is the background to their large-scale investments during a dark time in the semiconductor industry.
They will pursue R&D to improve their technical capabilities for semiconductor materials and parts. The switch to cutting-edge processes have raised demands for high-quality semiconductor materials and parts. This is because the start of the era of 3 nano processing means that the smallest foreign materials or particles will affect semiconductor quality and transference. WONIK QnC decided to expand their investments in R&D for the development of high-purity quarts and ceramic parts. They are also developing a new quartz product that is capable of withstanding plasma which is often used in cutting-edge processing. They are reviewing materials like synthetic quartz as potential candidates.
CEO Hongju Baek said that, “The deciding factor for semiconductor production capabilities and manufacturing know-how will be materials and parts,” and went on to reveal that, “We will maintain our status as the number 1 quartz company in the world with the development of a product capable of improving quality and transference and reducing production costs.”
Reporter Dongjoon Kwon djkwon@etnews.com