Vice President Nam Myung-hee: "Leading Semiconductor Revolution Impossible with Memory Research Alone"

Interview with SK Hynix Vice President Namyounghee

"Memory research alone cannot lead the semiconductor upheaval. Research that considers the new computing environment created by memory with added computational functions is necessary."

Nam Myung-hee, Vice President of SK Hynix, is in charge of a research organization preparing for the long-term future. This is the Revolution Technology Center (RTC), an advanced research organization launched in 2021 with the goal of presenting a new paradigm for the future semiconductor industry.

In an interview with the SK Hynix Newsroom on the 30th, Vice President Nam introduced, "Just as the final 'picture' is important when completing a puzzle, RTC plays the role of presenting this picture. It is an organization that works to increase accuracy and success rates so that we can look further ahead and quickly reach the ultimate goal."

RTC's research is conducted in three main directions. First is to secure the continuity of SK Hynix's core businesses, DRAM and NAND memory. They research next-generation memory that can overcome the limits of scaling and surpass technological inflection points. The second is to secure new types of memory that will create new value in next-generation technologies. Lastly, foundational research is underway to proactively secure semiconductor technologies that will respond to next-generation computing methods.

Vice President Nam emphasizes that future technology development cannot be done alone and requires organic consideration at the ecosystem level. Partnerships that allow joint research and decision-making are important. In particular, joint research that leverages the strengths of each partner company is advantageous not only in terms of efficiency but also in the commercialization potential of research outcomes.

He stated, "The semiconductor market will move more dynamically than ever over the next 10 years," and "Our goal is to build a world-class 'Global R&D24' and grow it into a research collaboration organization that transcends temporal, regional, and geopolitical limitations." RTC is thus on the journey toward Global R&D24.

Communication is valued as much as research. He explained, "Members of RTC continuously present papers at world-renowned conferences such as IEDM, IMW, and ISC, actively engaging in activities," and "Since the establishment of the RTC organization, the company's future semiconductor research publication achievements have more than doubled."

He added, "Nothing happens if nothing is done. The same goes for research. We have to step forward and inform others for them to know. For this reason, all RTC members share and communicate research status."

Vice President Nam operates programs where all members can freely share research ideas, such as ‘Patent Day’ and the ‘Innovation Box Festival,’ which realizes adopted ideas. An agile organizational culture has also been actively introduced for prompt issue response.