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Yang Jeom-sik, CEO of Iljin Materials (center), and employees celebrated the first shipment of ultra-thin wafers for semiconductors.
[Photo by Iljin Group]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jun-hyung] Iljin Materials announced on the 23rd that it has shipped 2㎛ (micrometer, one-millionth of a meter) ultra-thin foils used in Samsung Electronics' semiconductor packages for the first time.

The 2㎛ thick ultra-thin foil is one-fiftieth the thickness of a human hair, requiring advanced manufacturing technology, and has been called a dream product in the industry. Ultra-thin foils were originally produced exclusively in Japan, and South Korea relied entirely on imports from Japan.

Iljin Materials received a request from Samsung Electronics in 2011 to localize ultra-thin foil production. This was due to difficulties in importing Japanese ultra-thin foils following the Great East Japan Earthquake. Iljin Materials had already succeeded in R&D of ultra-thin foil products in 2006. However, it took 15 years of time and effort to obtain certification from global semiconductor companies necessary for commercialization.

Copper foil produced by Iljin Materials.
Photo by Iljin Group

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy recognized these localization efforts and selected Iljin Materials as a 'SoBuJang Top Company' last month. Iljin Materials will receive up to 25 billion KRW in R&D funds, 5 billion KRW annually for five years, along with various support.

Yang Jeom-sik, CEO of Iljin Materials, said, "This shipment of ultra-thin foil is highly meaningful as it localizes an important material previously monopolized by Japan's Mitsui and received quality certification from Samsung Electronics, contributing to the explosive growth of the semiconductor industry." He added, "We will accelerate development and patent work on next-generation battery materials and next-generation communication materials."