Samsung Electronics has secured stakes in a South Korean company that manufacturers pellicles used in semiconductor production.
FST said on Tuesday that it has issued 1.52 million shares for Samsung to purchase. The Korean tech giant will secure a 6.9% stake in the company, becoming the third largest shareholder, behind FST chairman Jang Myung-shik and CM Technology.
FST manufactures pellicles, which are used to protect masks from dusts in semiconductor production, and chillers that controls the temperature in processor chambers. Each business accounts for around half its sales.
The company is developing pellicles for use in extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography technology. It is aiming to launch a full-size EUV pellicle that is silicon carbide-based, 30-nanometer with a transmittance of 90%.
There is currently no company that produces EUV pellicles in mass. If FST succeeds, it will greatly help its earnings.
Last year, Samsung acquired stakes in multiple companies related to semiconductor production. It invested 65.9 billion won into blank mask and pellicle makeer S&S Tech, 47.3 billion won into front-end inspection equipment maker YIK, 20.7 billion won into cleaner and CMP slurry maker KCTech, 21.6 billion won into ceramic component maker Mico Ceramics, 18.9 billion won into vacuum equipment maker LOT Vacuum and 12.7 billion won into remote plasma generator New Power Plasma.
Samsung holds shares of multiple suppliers, including in A-Tech Solution (15.9%), Wonik IPS (3.8%), Wonik Holdings (2.3%), Dongjin Semichem (4.85%) and Soulbrain Holdings (4.8%).
