Merck opens advanced materials center in South Korea 

Merck has opened an advanced materials research center that will provide support for local semiconductor companies.

The center, dubbed Korea Advanced Technology Center (K-ATeC) will provide support for research and development of chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) slurry and post-CMP cleaning used by semiconductor-making clients, Merck said on Tuesday.

The five story 3,240 m² center will host a sampling lab for clients as well as a research lab for CMP materials design and analysis. 

It will also have a cleanroom with EBARA F-REX300X 300mm CMP wafer polishing system and an SP5 wafer defect inspection system, the company said.

Over 35 billion won was invested to build the center, it added.

Besides the new K-ATeC facility, Merck’s operations at Pyeongtaek includes a manufacturing center for next-generation CMP materials. 

The site is located in close proximity to the Korean customer base so as to provide local collaboration support and faster time to market, the company said.

Earlier this month, Merck reorganized its Semiconductor Solutions organization under the Performance Materials business to be “customer-centric.” The company said the completion of the acquisitions of Versum Materials and Intermolecular allows it to offer a broader portfolio of integrated solutions across multiple wafer process steps.

“The expertise extends beyond materials and includes, delivery tools, equipment, containers, services,” Merck said.

South Korea is home to memory giants Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.