[Infostock Daily=Reporter Park Sang-In] Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong returned home on the 14th after a seven-day business trip to Europe. Vice Chairman Lee visited Dutch equipment maker ASML to discuss ways to cooperate on next-generation semiconductors.
Vice Chairman Lee, who went on a business trip to the Netherlands on the 8th, arrived at Gimpo Airport at 9:30 a.m. via a chartered Korean Air flight. Vice Chairman Lee's overseas business trip came five months after his visit to a semiconductor plant in Xi'an, China, in May.
According to Samsung Electronics, Vice Chairman Lee visited ASML headquartered in Eindhoven, the Netherlands on the 13th (local time) and met with Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Peter Benink and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Martin van den Brink to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation for the development of next-generation semiconductor technology. ASML exclusively supplies EUV exposure equipment to Samsung Electronics.
Vice Chairman Lee and CEO Burningk shared opinions on the supply plan and operation technology of Extreme Ultra Voltage (EUV) equipment, which is essential for cutting-edge semiconductor production of less than 7-nano, cooperation in the development of next-generation manufacturing technologies for future semiconductors such as AI, market prospects following the prolonged COVID-19 crisis and future semiconductor technology strategies to respond to COVID-19.
Vice Chairman Lee also visited ASML's semiconductor manufacturing equipment production plant to directly examine the production status of EUV equipment. Kim Ki-nam, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics'DS division, attended the meeting.
Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong also met with ASML executives, including Burningk CEO, who visited Samsung Electronics in November 2016 to discuss ways to cooperate on next-generation semiconductor fine process technology, and met in Paris, France, in February last year to share opinions on the semiconductor industry.
Samsung Electronics has been working with ASML to develop ultra-fine semiconductor process technology and equipment since the 2000s, judging that EUV technology is needed to implement next-generation semiconductors, and in 2012, it strengthened its partnership through strategic equity investment in ASML.
EUV exposure technology is a technology to carve semiconductor circuits on wafers using extreme ultraviolet light sources. Because it is possible to implement more detailed circuits than existing technology, it is essential to create state-of-the-art high-performance, low-power and ultra-small semiconductors necessary for artificial intelligence (AI), 5th generation (5G) mobile communication and autonomous driving.
Samsung Electronics and ASML have been cooperating in various fields such as developing high-tech semiconductor materials optimized for EUV, improving equipment productivity, and improving performance in order to solve EUV-related technical problems. Samsung Electronics is expanding its use of EUV to the state-of-the-art memory semiconductor sector following system semiconductors. In particular, as the foundry business grows rapidly, cooperation between the two companies is expanding.
Reporter Park Snag-In si2020@infostock.co.kr
