Intekplus will supply about 6 billion won worth of semiconductor and substrate inspection equipment overseas.

Intekplus said in a regulatory filing on Sept. 9 that it signed a contract with ACCUTECH to supply semiconductor and substrate inspection equipment. ACCUTECH is a semiconductor equipment distributor based in Shenzhen, China.

The contract is valued at about 6.08 billion won, equivalent to 6.78% of Intekplus’ 98.77 billion won in revenue last year.

Intekplus will supply two types of equipment from its iPIS series for semiconductor package and chip inspection and its iSIS series for semiconductor mid-end and substrate inspection. The specific models were not disclosed.

The iPIS lineup includes systems for final visual defect inspection of semiconductor packages, 3D dimensional inspection and 2D side inspection. The iSIS lineup includes systems for 3D inspection of microbumps on flip-chip substrates and 3D inspection of bumps and surface defects on flip-chip ball grid array (FC-BGA) substrates.

Payments will be made in four stages. Intekplus will receive 30% of the contract value as an advance payment and another 30% after equipment delivery. A further 30% will be paid after installation and commissioning are verified, with the remaining 10% due after final acceptance. The contract runs through Nov. 30 next year, with the final payment expected before then.

Intekplus recently won an order from a major Japanese substrate manufacturer for automated optical inspection (AOI) equipment used in glass-substrate research and development. The equipment will be delivered in the second half of this year. The number of systems and contract value were not disclosed.

Intekplus posted first-half revenue of 21.77 billion won and an operating loss of 7.03 billion won. Its first-half net loss widened from a year earlier to 7.54 billion won.

LG Innotek has unveiled an embedded flip-chip ball grid array (FC-BGA) substrate with silicon capacitors integrated inside the package substrate for artificial intelligence chips. The company is also developing technology to embed active devices and bridges. Demand for embedded substrates, particularly FC-BGAs, is growing as higher-performance AI chips require more stable power delivery.

LG Innotek displayed FC-BGA samples with embedded silicon capacitors at KPCA Show 2026, held at Songdo Convensia in Incheon on Sept. 9. The company showed two structures, with silicon capacitors embedded in either the substrate’s core layer or buildup layer.

The core-layer structure accommodates relatively thick, high-capacitance silicon capacitors. The buildup-layer structure embeds thinner silicon capacitors to reduce overall substrate thickness. LG Innotek said the location and specifications of the embedded silicon capacitors can be varied depending on the semiconductor and substrate design.

A silicon capacitor is a passive component made by forming dielectric and electrode layers on a silicon wafer. It stores power required by a semiconductor and supplies it instantaneously to suppress voltage fluctuations. Conventionally, capacitors are mounted on the substrate surface and deliver power to the chip through copper interconnects. Embedding capacitors inside the substrate shortens the power-delivery distance between the semiconductor and capacitor while freeing up mounting area on the substrate surface.

Silicon capacitors are particularly suited to stable power delivery at high frequencies because of their low equivalent series inductance (ESL). AI semiconductors operate at high speeds and can draw large amounts of power instantaneously. Lower ESL helps suppress voltage fluctuations.

Major silicon capacitor suppliers include Murata and Samsung Electro-Mechanics. TSMC also uses internally produced silicon-based deep trench capacitors (DTCs) in advanced packaging.

LG Innotek has been developing embedding technology for about a decade. It initially embedded multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) in flip-chip chip-scale packages (FC-CSPs). As the AI semiconductor market expanded, the company unveiled FC-BGA technology with embedded silicon capacitors in 2024 and began applying it to mass-produced products last year.

LG Innotek is also developing technology to embed active devices and bridges inside FC-BGAs, in addition to passive components such as silicon capacitors and inductors. Active devices directly control signals and power, while bridges connect multiple chips over short distances to support high-speed signal transmission. The goal is to expand the substrate’s role beyond simply connecting semiconductors to the mainboard.

“We have applied embedding technology for about 10 years, beginning with passive components inside FC-CSPs,” an LG Innotek official said. “It is attracting renewed attention as FC-BGAs become more advanced.”

“In the past, substrates simply served as a medium for transmitting signals, but they are now evolving to provide functionality themselves by incorporating silicon capacitors, inductors and other components,” the official said. “Moving components from the substrate surface to the inside gives customers greater design flexibility and enables thinner products.”

U.S. semiconductor equipment maker Axcelis Technologies said Sept. 8 it plans to build a new equipment manufacturing facility in South Korea with an investment of about $35 million.

Robert Mahoney, Axcelis' Executive Vice President of Global Operations, recently participated in an investment declaration ceremony in Washington, D.C., with officials from South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR) and the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA). The investment totals $35 million.

The new manufacturing facility will be built in Pyeongtaek with a total gross floor area of about 200,000 square feet. The investment is aimed at expanding ion implantation equipment production capacity to meet global demand.

Ion implanters are key front-end semiconductor manufacturing tools that precisely introduce ions into wafers to create desired electrical properties. Axcelis Korea established the Axcelis Asia Operations Center (AAOC) in Pyeongtaek in 2021 and began producing the equipment locally.

The new facility will be designed around a lean manufacturing environment aimed at eliminating waste and maximizing production efficiency. A groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for Oct. 20, with production targeted to begin in the second half of 2028.

The facility will include Class 1,000 (ISO 6) and Class 10,000 (ISO 7) cleanrooms, a warehouse and a training center. A Class 1,000 cleanroom limits particles measuring 0.5 micrometers (㎛) to no more than 1,000 per cubic foot.

"Ion implanters are among the most important tools in front-end semiconductor manufacturing," Axcelis President and Chief Executive Officer Russell Low said. The investment will strengthen the company's global high-volume manufacturing infrastructure and expand the capabilities needed to serve customers worldwide, he said.

Taesung said Sept. 9 it is showcasing glass substrate production equipment technology at the International Semiconductor Substrate & Advanced Packaging Industry Exhibition, or KPCA Show 2026.

KPCA Show is a South Korean exhibition specializing in printed circuit boards (PCBs) and semiconductor packaging. The event is being held Sept. 9-11 at Songdo Convensia in Incheon. Taesung is presenting process technologies optimized for glass substrates, including etching, cleaning and plating, at its booth.

In particular, the company is showcasing key equipment for the Through Glass Via (TGV) process. TGVs are tiny holes formed in glass substrates to create electrical signal paths between chips and substrates. Taesung is displaying etching equipment that shapes and refines the holes, cleaning equipment that removes contaminants and plating equipment that coats the holes with metal to enable electrical conductivity.

Taesung has developed equipment for each stage of glass substrate processing based on technology accumulated in its existing PCB manufacturing equipment business. The company is targeting the market with mass-production solutions tailored to different manufacturing methods and process conditions for individual customers. Supply discussions with major customers are currently in their final stages, and Taesung expects to secure new orders within this month.

"Global demand for glass substrates is growing as AI semiconductors become more powerful and advanced packaging technologies develop," Taesung said. "We will actively showcase our differentiated process equipment technology at KPCA Show."

The growing AI and high-performance computing (HPC) markets are also increasing the importance of next-generation semiconductor packaging technologies. Glass substrates, a next-generation packaging material, have flatter surfaces than conventional substrates made of plastic or organic materials, making them better suited for denser, finer circuit patterns. They are also less susceptible to warpage and deformation caused by heat.

Simmtech is showcasing next-generation semiconductor substrate technologies, including Small Outline Compression Attached Memory Module (SOCAMM) for artificial intelligence servers, at KPCA Show 2026, held Sept. 9-11 at Songdo Convensia in Incheon.

Key products on display include SOCAMM, next-generation Low Power Compression Attached Memory Module (LPCAMM), enterprise solid-state drive (SSD) modules and Compute Express Link (CXL) memory modules.

Simmtech is the largest supplier of module printed circuit boards (PCBs) and memory semiconductor package substrates used in SOCAMM. Nvidia's Rubin CPU uses eight SOCAMMs, with each SOCAMM containing four low-power DRAM (LPDDR) packages. Simmtech supplies both SOCAMM module PCBs and LPDDR package substrates.

The company is also showcasing ultra-thin and ultra-fine substrate technologies, including Ultra-Thin Substrate, Hybrid Substrate, Small Via, Fine Bond Finger and Fine-Pitch/Dual-Size Small Outline Package (SOP) technologies.

Simmtech is displaying substrate technologies designed to address rising power consumption and heat generation in AI semiconductors. Bar Via, Chunk Via and Thick Cu Pattern technologies improve heat dissipation for high-power semiconductors. The company is also showcasing Rigid-Flex Substrate using Cu Post and Cavity technologies, as well as Wettable Flank substrates.

Simmtech is also presenting preliminary research on glass substrates, a technology that replaces conventional organic cores with glass. The technology can reduce warpage in large-area packages while facilitating ultra-fine wiring and improving signal integrity.

"The importance of substrate technology is greater than ever as the AI semiconductor market grows," a Simmtech official said. "Through this exhibition, we will share our next-generation semiconductor substrate technologies and future vision with customers and industry officials and strengthen our technology leadership in the global market."

TLB will introduce artificial intelligence (AI)-based smart manufacturing technologies at its printed circuit board (PCB) production plant in Ansan. The company will use AI to optimize production conditions and deploy autonomous mobile robots and other technologies on the factory floor.

Ansan City said Sept. 8 that it will develop TLB into a lead AI factory as part of its AI transformation (AX) demonstration industrial complex project at the Banwol and Sihwa National Industrial Complexes. The technologies will first be demonstrated at TLB’s Ansan plant before successful applications are expanded to other manufacturers in the industrial complexes.

The AX demonstration industrial complex project integrates AI and data into manufacturing processes to improve productivity, reduce costs and strengthen corporate competitiveness. A total of 28 billion won in central government, local government and private funding will be invested through 2028.

The project will also establish a manufacturing AI open lab where companies can directly test AI technologies. Universities and research institutions will analyze problems at manufacturing sites and develop and demonstrate the necessary technologies. An AX comprehensive support center will assess each company’s level of AI adoption and connect it with appropriate technologies and experts. Plans also call for a secure data zone where manufacturing, energy and logistics data can be used, as well as an integrated support platform linking manufacturers with AI technology companies.

“The Banwol and Sihwa industrial complexes have been a key foundation supporting Ansan’s industrial competitiveness, and we need to transform them into future-oriented industrial complexes through manufacturing innovation and improvements to working conditions,” Ansan Mayor Lee Min-geun said. “We will create a virtuous cycle in which production innovation using AI and data strengthens corporate competitiveness, while a better working environment attracts young people and talent.”

Battery recycling startup DRT has commercialized its proprietary multi-stage pyrolysis technology.

The company built its first mass-production facility at the Saemangeum Industrial Complex in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, applying its technology to actual waste battery processing. Compared with conventional rotary kiln systems, the technology reduces both energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions by about 50%.

DRT held an event on Sept. 8 at the Saemangeum Industrial Complex to mark the completion of its battery recycling mass-production facility. The first production line can process 12,000 tons of waste batteries annually, equivalent to batteries used in about 24,000 electric vehicles.

The first production line unveiled at the event integrates equipment for dismantling EV battery packs into modules and cells, crushing and heat treatment, and separation of black mass (BM), a powder containing valuable metals, within a single building. South Korean automation equipment maker Toptec supplied the automated equipment for separating battery packs, modules and cells. DRT designed and manufactured the core equipment for subsequent processes, including crushing and heat treatment.

The company plans to add production lines at its Gunsan plant after reviewing operations of the first line and customer demand. It is considering building second and third lines of the same capacity on the remaining site. If all three lines are operational, the Gunsan plant is expected to generate more than 20 billion won in annual revenue.

“This is a mass-production facility incorporating our independently developed high-efficiency resource recovery technology,” DRT CEO Jung Chul-won said. “We will use the first line as a global standard model for mass production and expand our business with customers in South Korea and overseas.”

A key feature of DRT’s system is its ability to process both waste batteries and low-grade black mass on a single line. Waste batteries undergo crushing, heat treatment and separation to recover powder containing valuable metals, while low-grade black mass containing residual organic materials and impurities is heat-treated again to improve its quality.

At the core is DRT’s proprietary multi-stage pyrolysis technology. After waste batteries are crushed, nitrogen is used to lower the oxygen concentration before the material is heat-treated at about 500 degrees Celsius. Organic materials such as electrolytes, separators and binders are removed in a sealed, multi-stage reactor. The process reduces fire risk while increasing black mass purity to about 98%.

DRT will use the first production line to process waste batteries and black mass supplied by customers on a contract-processing basis. Annual revenue is expected at 7 billion to 7.5 billion won. Unlike conventional recyclers that directly purchase raw materials and sell the resulting black mass, DRT processes materials secured by its customers and receives a processing fee.

DRT chose this business model because it allows the company to turn existing recyclers into customers rather than compete with them for waste battery feedstock. By processing customer materials in Gunsan, DRT plans to demonstrate the performance and economics of its multi-stage pyrolysis equipment and expand into an equipment business that installs the technology on customers’ production lines. Each equipment sale could generate tens of billions of won in revenue.

DRT is in discussions with companies in the US and Japan to supply its multi-stage pyrolysis equipment. It is also discussing businesses using waste battery recycling equipment with battery materials companies in South Korea and overseas.

DRT is expanding its pyrolysis technology developed for waste batteries into areas including biomass and waste plastics.

In biomass, the company is developing technology to pyrolyze woody and herbaceous feedstocks to produce bio-oil for use as a feedstock for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

DRT is also advancing catalytic pyrolysis technology for waste plastics. The technology converts waste plastics through pyrolysis into feedstocks for high-value chemical products. DRT is participating in government-funded research projects with universities, refiners and chemical companies to develop the technologies.

DRT has also secured external funding for technology development and construction of mass-production facilities. It has raised 5 billion won since its establishment. Following the start of operations at its first production line, the company plans to secure additional funding to build more facilities and commercialize its pyrolysis technologies.

Simmtech is strengthening cooperation with key domestic and overseas suppliers. The company signed long-term supply agreements with some partners to address uncertainty in raw material procurement.

Simmtech said Sept. 8 that it held its 2026 Simmtech Supplier Day at the Sheraton Grand Incheon Hotel in Songdo. The event was attended by 34 representatives, including chief executives and sales executives, from 17 major domestic and overseas suppliers.

The company discussed joint responses to supply-chain issues with raw material and equipment suppliers and signed long-term supply agreements with some companies. Discussions covered mid- to long-term materials development roadmaps, production capacity expansion plans and measures to address raw material procurement. Working-level meetings were also held in procurement and sales, as well as marketing and development.

Following welcoming remarks by Simmtech CEO Chun Youngsun, executives from each business division gave presentations. The company shared its outlook for the semiconductor memory market and growth prospects for artificial intelligence (AI)-related businesses, the status of its global production bases, package substrate technology trends, manufacturing differentiation strategies and future investment plans. It also presented its business roadmap for SOCAMM, a next-generation memory module substrate for AI servers.

"As demand for AI semiconductors expands and the market for high-end substrates grows rapidly, strengthening the supply chain with key partners has become more important than ever," a Simmtech official said. "We will strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation based on long-term partnerships with our suppliers."

INTEKPLUS has won its first order for glass substrate inspection equipment from a Japanese customer, potentially expanding its substrate inspection business beyond flip-chip ball grid array (FC-BGA) substrates into glass substrates.

According to industry sources on Sept. 8, INTEKPLUS recently received an order from a major Japanese substrate maker for an automated optical inspection (AOI) system for glass substrate R&D. The equipment will be delivered in the second half of this year. The number of systems and the contract value were not disclosed. Given the outlook for the glass substrate market, the order could lead to longer-term business opportunities.

The equipment for Japan builds on INTEKPLUS’s existing substrate inspection technology, enhanced to accommodate the characteristics of glass substrates. Handling technology allows fragile glass to be transported and secured safely during inspection and is designed to work with the customer’s existing glass substrate handling solution. Inspection precision has also been improved to address increasingly fine circuit pitches as advanced packaging substrates become more highly integrated.

The system uses white light scanning interferometer (WSI) technology to measure the three-dimensional shape of glass substrates after plating and wiring processes. It inspects the height and shape of fine bumps, flatness and warpage. Surface defects such as cracks and chipping are detected through automated final visual inspection (AFVI). Precise inspection is particularly important as glass substrates become finer and larger, because even small variations in shape or defects can cause failures in subsequent processes.

INTEKPLUS also made an initial delivery of its next-generation FC-BGA inspection equipment to the same customer, along with an R&D-use panel three-dimensional (3D) inspection system. Both systems are designed for larger and finer substrates. Additional orders are expected as the customer increases production.

The customer is a Japanese semiconductor substrate manufacturer that produces FC-BGA substrates. It recently established a pilot line for advanced packaging and is developing technology to form redistribution layers (RDLs) and other structures on glass substrates or glass interposers after through-glass via (TGV) processing.

INTEKPLUS has conducted sample tests of glass substrates for major South Korean substrate makers and global customers. Using glass substrates produced by customers, the company verified the performance and applicability of its inspection equipment.

Existing INTEKPLUS substrate inspection equipment is also being used for glass substrate development. Two major South Korean substrate makers use existing INTEKPLUS systems at their research centers to inspect internally produced glass substrate samples. Because finished glass substrates have structures similar to FC-BGA substrates, existing 3D measurement and visual inspection technologies can be applied.

Demand is expected to expand from R&D systems to mass-production equipment once customers begin volume production of glass substrates. At the mass-production stage, throughput and handling of large substrates become important alongside inspection precision, increasing demand for new equipment. INTEKPLUS plans to expand sales of glass substrate inspection equipment, primarily to its existing FC-BGA customers.

“Japan is a market where customers have a strong preference for domestic equipment, making it difficult for foreign equipment suppliers to enter, but evaluations and initial deliveries of INTEKPLUS equipment have recently increased as substrates become larger,” an INTEKPLUS official said. “For glass substrates, we have already secured sufficient technology to perform inspections even with equipment previously supplied.”

AP Systems has formed an open innovation fund to identify companies in deep technology and the materials, components and equipment sectors.

AP Systems said Sept. 8 that it formed the Gravity-AP Systems Open Innovation Investment Partnership No. 1 with venture capital firm Gravity Ventures.

The fund will combine AP Systems’ technology and commercialization capabilities with Gravity Ventures’ expertise in identifying and investing in deep-tech startups. Gravity Ventures will handle company sourcing, investment screening and execution, and post-investment management, while AP Systems will support technology reviews and business cooperation.

Investment targets will include deep-tech and materials, components and equipment companies that can be linked to AP Systems’ existing and new businesses. The two companies will also pursue business cooperation from the investment review stage, including proof-of-concept (PoC) testing, joint development and supply-chain integration.

Key areas under consideration include advanced laser and optical application technologies, advanced semiconductor packaging and back-end process solutions, artificial intelligence (AI)-based smart manufacturing and process intelligence, AI-based automated optical and visual inspection (AOI and AVI), physical AI and robotics-based factory automation, and technologies for advanced materials, defense and medical applications.

Portfolio companies will be given opportunities to use AP Systems’ manufacturing infrastructure and industry network for technology validation and field deployment, as well as cooperation in commercialization and mass production. AP Systems aims to secure technologies applicable to industrial sites at an early stage and expand links between its existing and new businesses.

Gravity Ventures has invested in early-stage companies in deep tech, semiconductor materials, components and equipment, and physical AI. In the first half of this year, it operated “Gravity Pulls,” a program to identify and foster startups in those fields.

Samyang Corp. said Sept. 8 that Ahn Tae-jin, a team leader at its Chemical R&D Center's Mobility Tech Center, received a Prime Minister's Commendation at the inaugural Technology Developers' Day ceremony hosted by the Ministry of Science and ICT. Ahn was recognized for leading the development of siloxane-based polycarbonate (Si-PC) compounds for automotive interiors and high-transmittance polycarbonate (PC) materials for automotive daytime running lights.

Ahn has led the development of Si-PC compounds for automotive interiors since 2017. Si-PC combines conventional PC with siloxane components, improving chemical resistance and low-temperature impact resistance, weaknesses of conventional PC. The material retains its impact strength even after exposure to chemicals during painting processes. It has also passed head impact tests, which evaluate safety when an occupant's head strikes interior vehicle components.

The material is currently used in large interior components such as center fascias and crash pads in South Korean vehicles, as well as ambient light covers. Samyang began supplying Si-PC to South Korean automakers in 2019. Cumulative sales through the first quarter of this year reached 10,000 tons, generating more than 50 billion won in revenue. The company has registered 14 related patents, two of which have been recognized as international patents in markets including the US, Japan, China and Europe.

Ahn also led the development of high-transmittance PC for automotive daytime running lights using an isosorbide-based light-transmission enhancer produced by Samyang Innochem. Isosorbide is made by chemically processing starch extracted from plant resources such as corn. When used in plastics, it improves weather resistance, durability and light transmittance. Development began in 2021, with commercial production starting in 2024.

Sales of the high-transmittance PC exceeded 130 tons last year. The material is used in optical components inside automotive headlamps and in optical parts for ambient lighting. It received New Excellent Technology (NET) certification from the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources in 2022. In January, it obtained certification from the Automotive Manufacturers Equipment Compliance Agency (AMECA) in the US. Samyang is pursuing entry into the US market based on the certification.

"The materials recognized through this award are meaningful in that they have strengthened the competitiveness of South Korea's automotive materials industry and contributed to greater self-reliance in materials," Ahn said. "We will continue to focus on developing differentiated materials and expanding commercialization."

The Korea Toray Science Foundation has selected the winners of the 9th Korea Toray Science and Technology Award.

The foundation said Sept. 8 that it selected KAIST Professor Kim Sang Kyu in the basic research category for chemistry and materials and Gyeongsang National University Professor Kim Yun Hee in the applied research category. Each will receive 100 million won in prize money.

Kim Sang Kyu developed experimental techniques to observe changes in chemical reactivity depending on molecular structure. He was recognized for elucidating the structural dynamics of transition states and conical intersections that determine chemical reaction rates. He has also conducted research into electron-nuclear correlations by controlling electrons in anions.

Kim Yun Hee has conducted research on the synthesis of organic semiconductor materials. She secured core technology for high-efficiency deep-blue organic light-emitting diode (OLED) materials and was recognized for contributing to the localization of materials and the development of related technologies and human resources through industry collaboration.

The foundation also selected five early-career scientists for the Korea Toray Fellowship. Each researcher will receive a total of 150 million won in research funding over three years.

In the basic research category, DGIST Department of Chemistry and Physics Professor Song In Taek and Seoul National University Department of Chemistry Professor Hong Seung Youn were selected. In the applied research category, Sogang University Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Professor Kim Hyung Jun, POSTECH Department of Materials Science and Engineering Professor Chun Dong Won and Hanyang University Department of Chemical Engineering Professor Ham Dong Hyo were selected.

The foundation selected the recipients after soliciting nominations from April through June and evaluating candidates based on their academic achievements, originality and potential contributions to future advances in science and technology. The awards ceremony will be held in October.

The Korea Toray Science Foundation was established in 2018. Including this year's recipients, it has selected 18 winners of the Korea Toray Science and Technology Award and 40 fellowship researchers. The foundation also provides scholarships to 30 science and engineering students each year and has supported a cumulative 255 students through the second semester of 2026.