Ban Hall Corning Korea President "Semiconductor Glass Substrate Produced in Han... High-Performance Chip Packaging Realized"

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Corning, a US materials science company specializing in specialty glass, has expressed its ambition to actively enter the semiconductor glass substrate business. The company plans to increase sales of glass substrates in Korea, centered around its research and development (R&D) center located in Asan, Chungcheongnam-do.

Ban Hol Coning, President of Corning Korea, is explaining the company's semiconductor glass substrates at the Corning Seoul office in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul on the 29th.
[Photo by Corning]

Van Hall, President of Corning Korea, held his first press conference since taking office last month at Corning's Seoul office in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on the 29th, where he introduced the company's business strategy and plans for Korea.

Semiconductor glass substrates are promising products with higher dimensional stability and form factor flexibility compared to traditional organic substrates, and companies such as Samsung Electro-Mechanics, SKC, and Intel are strengthening their manufacturing capabilities in this area. The glass produced by Corning is also supplied for semiconductor applications such as DRAM wafer thinning. Recently, Hall stated that Corning is closely collaborating with global companies to enter the semiconductor packaging process glass substrate field. Hall said, "Corning is producing semiconductor glass substrates in Korea and is focusing on implementing advanced chip packaging required for high-performance chips."

Hall explained the manufacturing principles and advantages of semiconductor glass substrates (glass cores) produced by Corning's Advanced Optics division, as well as the current status of Corning's business in Korea. Corning manufactures semiconductor glass substrates using its proprietary 'fusion process,' which has been developed over 60 years. The fusion process has been primarily used for liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs).

Raw materials such as sand are procured and mixed through a special process before being fed into a melting furnace. When the raw materials form molten glass resembling lava, they are placed into V-shaped equipment. This allows the extraction of high-purity glass flowing downward, which is then used for semiconductor substrates, OLED panel glass, and other applications.

Corning operates two subsidiaries in Korea: Corning Precision Materials, which supplies display substrate glass, cover glass solutions, and bendable glass for mobile devices; and Corning Korea, which provides Gorilla Glass, automotive and biotechnology product commercialization, and engineering support.

Hall stated, "Glass substrates are widely used as core materials in the semiconductor sector due to their excellent dimensional stability and electrical properties," and explained, "After attaching DRAM or processors onto the glass substrate, chip makers thin the glass through their proprietary processes, then use the DRAM or processors in semiconductors while separating them from the glass."

Corning Advanced Packaging Glass Core Panel. Width 515 mm, height 510 mm. Corning supplies glass panels of various thicknesses to semiconductor manufacturers and other clients.
[Photo by Corning]

Hall revealed that semiconductor-type glass substrates are already being produced in Korea. Corning has established the 'Corning Technologies Center Korea,' an R&D base in Asan, Chungcheongnam-do. Corning plans to invest a total of $1.5 billion (approximately 2 trillion KRW) by 2028 to build a supply chain for bendable glass, aiming to position Korea as a global hub for bendable glass manufacturing.

On this day, Hall did not disclose specific customers, production volumes, or sales proportions related to semiconductor glass substrates. He said, "Corning is producing semiconductor glass substrates in Korea using the fusion process and has already established a supply chain for bendable glass, supplying customers in Korea."

Corning anticipates that semiconductor glass substrates will become larger in size due to high demand from customers (chip makers). However, the company did not mention the commercialization timeline. Lee Hyun-sung, Sales Manager of Corning Advanced Optics, said, "Although we cannot disclose specific business details, we are collaborating with global leaders among chip makers."

In addition to semiconductor glass substrates, Corning manufactures OLED glass for IT, automotive glass, and architectural glass. A representative example in displays is the glass for Samsung's QD (Quantum Dot)-OLED, unveiled in 2022. In automotive, Corning produces automotive electronic display and cover glass for companies such as Hyundai Mobis, LG Electronics, and LG Display. The next-generation augmented reality-based head-up display (HUD), developed primarily by Corning's Asan R&D center, was first applied globally by Hyundai Mobis.

Corning began its business in Korea in 1973 by producing cathode ray tube glass with Samsung. This year marks the 51st anniversary of its entry. Founded in 1851, Corning currently employs about 48,000 people across more than 40 countries. Hall said, "Corning has been doing business in Korea for the past 50 years and looks forward to creating new technologies and numerous opportunities in Korea for the next 50 years."

President Hall joined Corning in 1995 as a senior engineer and has held production management positions in the US and Asia. He has worked in Asia for over 20 years. Last month, he was appointed President of Corning Korea, overseeing all domestic operations.