[The Korea Industry Post, 2016. 06. 07]
Demand for special gases and chemical is rapidly growing, as OLED, 3D nand, and electric car battery investment booms around the world.
Starting from smart phone technology standard trailblazer Apple Inc., growing number of smart phone makers are turning to OLED display as it boast of better color representation or color gamut, wider viewing angle, better contrast ratio, and faster pixel switching compared to LCD.
Korean chip maker Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is putting great effort to develop better and improved nand flash compared to its current 48-layer nand flash, as to maintain supremacy in the market.
And global battery makers are working day and night to make more electric car battery to keep up with orders of electric car makers.
Truly enough, more gases and chemicals are needed to produce more of new display panels, chips, and batteries.
As to case, 30% more special gases and chemicals are being used to produce current 48-layer nand flash compared to previous 32-layer nand flash. Samsung plans to develop 64-layer before the year ends.
Gases and chemicals to make electric car battery like LiPF6 became 5~6times more expensive compared to beginning of the year. The price is constantly increasing as production is barely keeping up with the rapidly growing demand.
Korean gases and chemicals manufacturers are enjoying the unexpected investment boom.
NF3 manufacturers SK materials and Hyosung will likely earn benefit, as the typical type of special gas is widely used in chip and panel production. It is used in the plasma etching of silicon wafers, employed cleaning of chambers.
Foosung will also experience growth as it supplies LiPF6 and WF6 to battery makers. LiPF6 and WF6 are used in commercial secondary batteries. SK materials also make WF6.
Soulbrain Co., Ltd. produces and supplies chemicals related to 3D nand and electrolyte.
Wonik Materials Co., Ltd. makes special gases for overall semiconductor and display panel fabricating process.
Lyan Lee
goldlion2@kipost.net
translated by Taegeun Kim
ktg1130@kipost.net
June 7, 2016