Showa Denko K.K. (SDK; Tokyo, Japan; www.sdk.co.jp) and SK Materials Co., Ltd. (SKM; www.sk-materials.com), of South Korea, has concluded an agreement to establish a joint corporation which is to produce and sell high-purity monofluoromethane gas (CH3F) to be used in the manufacturing of semiconductor chips. The joint venture is to be called SK Showa Denko Co., Ltd., and will be headquartered in Yeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea. SDK holds 49% of the new company, with SKM owning the remaining 51%.
CH3F is a specialty gas used in the manufacturing process of semiconductor chips for micromachining nitride film by etching. CH3F is mainly used in the manufacture of semiconductor memory chips, including NAND flash and DRAM that requires micromachining technology. Since its etching selectivity is higher than other gases, CH3F is suitable for micromachining of multi-layer structure of 3D NAND flash. The demand for CH3F has been increasing these days due to start-up of many lines to manufacture 3D NAND flash.
SDK and SKM, which is a member of the SK Group of South Korea and produces high-purity gases for electronics, reached an agreement to establish a joint company and its plant to produce CH3F, and make the new company sell that gas. The two parties plan to establish the new company in February 2017, and finish construction of a new plant in August 2017. In addition, after establishment of the joint corporation, SDK and SKM will aim to further expand joint operation to produce and sell high-purity gases for manufacture of semiconductor chips and display panels.