SKC "We Will Become a Company No One Can Follow" Reveals Technology Blueprint

'SKC Tech Day 2023' at Headquarters in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 9th

On the 9th, SKC held ‘SKC Tech Day 2023’ at its headquarters in Jongno-gu, Seoul, unveiling the technology blueprint for its core and new businesses. SKC Tech Day is an event that shares SKC’s research and development status and technology roadmap with the market.

At the event, SKC introduced various technologies of new businesses such as silicon anode materials, semiconductor glass substrates, and eco-friendly biodegradable materials, along with its core business copper foil for secondary batteries. ISC, recently acquired by SKC, also made its debut with semiconductor test solution technology at this event.

Regarding the secondary battery materials business, which holds the world’s No. 1 technology, SKC shared the development achievements of copper foil for the ‘4680 cylindrical battery’ and the research and development direction of anode current collectors for future secondary batteries such as all-solid-state batteries.

An Jung-kyu, head of the SK Nexilis Material Technology Development Center, said, “We are developing various customer solutions that possess the physical properties required for future secondary battery anode current collectors, including high strength, high elongation, high heat resistance, and corrosion suppression.”

They also introduced the status of copper foil-related patent assets. As of March this year, SK Nexilis holds 230 patent applications for copper foil used in secondary batteries, possessing the largest patent portfolio in the industry. Copper foil requires advanced manufacturing technology as it influences both secondary battery performance and the productivity of secondary battery manufacturers.

Park Won-cheol, President of SKC, delivering the keynote speech at 'SKC Tech Day 2022' held last year [Photo by SKC]

They also introduced the technological competitiveness of silicon anode materials, considered a major future growth driver in the secondary battery materials field. SKC established its subsidiary ‘Ultimus’ this year and plans to start pilot production in January next year using NexEon Technology, a UK technology company in which it became the largest shareholder through equity investment in January last year.

In the semiconductor materials and components sector, SKC announced high-performance computing glass substrates and ISC’s semiconductor test solution technology. Absolix, an investment company in SKC’s glass substrate business, will complete the world’s first mass production plant by the end of this year.

ISC, newly incorporated as an SKC subsidiary this year, emphasized its outstanding competitiveness in the rubber socket market, a core component for semiconductor testing. ISC succeeded in the world’s first mass production of rubber sockets in 2003 and is evaluated to have maintained a technological gap of over 10 years compared to latecomer competitors. It has established the industry’s largest patent portfolio with 578 patents related to test sockets. More than 300 global major companies, including memory and non-memory semiconductor manufacturers, fabless companies, and big tech firms with large-scale servers, are ISC’s customers.

Along with secondary battery materials and semiconductor materials and components, SKC shared the technology capabilities and commercialization preparation status of eco-friendly biodegradable materials, one of SKC’s three major growth pillars. They emphasized the potential to expand the market to products such as hygiene products and wet wipes, which have not previously used biodegradable materials, based on the world’s first 100% PBAT nonwoven fabric developed by SKC.

An SKC official said, “Based on the fundamental technologies secured through decades of continuous research and development, we are growing into a company with a ‘technological moat’ that no one can easily follow,” adding, “We will actively continue communication about SKC’s technology roadmap toward future markets.”