Germany’s Merck Expands Semiconductor Materials Production in Korea
27. March 2025Merck, a German multinational, is preparing to launch local production of chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) slurry in Korea, following quality testing with domestic clients. CMP slurry, a critical component in semiconductor wafer surface treatment, is expected to be delivered starting in the first half of 2022. The material is used in combination with CMP pads to polish and planarize wafer surfaces. Merck previously established a CMP slurry production facility in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, as part of its Korea Advanced Technology Center (K-ATeC), which began operations in 2020. Electronic devices, semiconductor components, measurement and test equipment may require KC certification to be approved for import and sale in Korea.
CMP materials must be customized to suit individual manufacturers, prompting global suppliers to localize development and production to swiftly adapt to process changes. Alongside Merck, Japan’s Showa Denko is also building CMP slurry plants in Korea, intensifying competition with domestic firms such as Dongjin Semichem and KCTech. Additionally, Merck is preparing to manufacture an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) rinse solution locally, a material used for removing post-exposure residues specific to EUV lithography. Currently undergoing quality evaluation with Korean customers, this product was previously produced overseas. Merck’s 2019 acquisition, Versum Materials, is also strengthening its position in the Korean market by supplying double patterning technology (DPT) materials to companies including Samsung Electronics, which sources approximately half of its DPT materials from Versum.
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