ATMI invests US$24m in manufacturing plant in South Korea
Will produce SDS and VAC gas delivery systems and semiconductor materials
ATMI, a supplier of specialist semiconductor materials, is expanding its focus on the Asia-Pacific microelectronics markets with the construction of a new manufacturing facility in JangAn, Gyeonggi province, South Korea.
The company celebrated the announcement with a ground-breaking ceremony held at the site, which is expected to be ready for high-volume production in the second half of 2013.
The new 11,000m2 facility will manufacture SDS and VAC gas delivery systems and materials for semiconductor and solar ion implant applications.
The plant is expected to employ approximately 100 people and cost around US$24m to build.
“Our manufacturing investments in South Korea will strengthen our supply chain and improve our interactions with leading customers. Our high productivity development investment will further enhance our ability to partner with our customers in Asia, enabling our local customers and ATMI to work together to solve problems more quickly and comprehensively than before,” said Doug Neugold, ATMI chairman, ceo and president.
“Proximity to our customers enables our teams to collaborate better on defining problems, react quickly as knowledge is gained, and move solutions to production rapidly, bringing operational efficiencies throughout our supply chain.”
ATMI has also completed its fifth global High Productivity Development Centre (and the third in Asia), inside the facilities of the Korea Advanced Nano Fab Centre (KANC) in Suwon.
ATMI’s existing global network of High Productivity Development Centres in Danbury, CT and San Jose, CA (US), Kyoto, Japan and Hsinchu, Taiwan, help customers to identify and validate new chemistry solutions rapidly through quicker learning cycles, saving time and money, and reducing risks.
The new Suwon centre will serve the same purpose and is currently equipped for research, development and applications support of new surface preparation and cleaning chemistries, and deposition materials.
ATMI has future plans to expand r&d capabilities at this location for packaging materials and customised chemical development to support existing customers in the area.