Lam Research Opens 'Yongin Campus'
Accelerates Talent Development with 'Semibus'
On the 8th, at the Lam Research Yongin Campus, from the left, Kim Jeonghoe, Vice Chairman of the Korea Semiconductor Industry Association, Tim Archer, Global Chairman and CEO of Lam Research, and Choi Jaebung, Vice President of Sungkyunkwan University, signed a memorandum of understanding for nurturing semiconductor talent in Korea and took a commemorative photo. [Photo by Lam Research Korea]
Ram Research, a U.S. semiconductor equipment company celebrating the 35th anniversary of its Korean branch, opened its Yongin campus on the 8th. The research and development (R&D) centers, manufacturing plants, logistics centers, and office facilities previously located in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province, were consolidated into one location. Through the Yongin campus, Ram Research will intensify the cultivation of semiconductor talent within Korea.
On the morning of the 8th, Ram Research held an opening ceremony at its Yongin campus in Giheung-gu, Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, announcing a collaborative industry-academia-government program with Sungkyunkwan University and the Korea Semiconductor Industry Association (KSIA).
Ram Research’s Developed ‘Semiverse Solutions’... Innovation in Practical Training
Park Junhong, CEO of Lam Research Korea, is speaking at the opening ceremony of Lam Research Yongin Campus on the 8th. Photo by Choi Seoyoon
The core of this collaboration program is Ram Research’s developed ‘Semiverse Solutions.’ Semiverse Solutions is a virtual reality-based educational platform designed to understand and practice the complexities of semiconductor manufacturing processes. This solution virtually replicates actual semiconductor manufacturing processes, allowing students to simulate every step of the process without using physical equipment. It was designed as a solution to overcome educational environment constraints where expensive equipment and physical devices cannot be frequently used due to the nature of semiconductor manufacturing.
Semiverse Solutions is based on digital twin technology. Through this, trainees can input process data and check results in real time without using physical equipment, gaining experience close to actual work. Sangwook Park, Executive Director and Head of Technology Marketing at Ram Research, said, “This solution can reduce the semiconductor practical training period from the existing 10 years to 2 to 3 years.”
A one-year pilot project will be conducted starting next year, followed by an expansion to train advanced semiconductor professionals at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels. Ram Research will support the pilot project in 2025 with approximately 7 billion KRW worth of licenses and training personnel. Junhong Park, CEO of Ram Research Korea, said, “We are pleased to establish a cutting-edge foundation for nurturing K-semiconductor talent beyond infrastructure limitations by utilizing Ram Research’s Semiverse Solutions,” adding, “Through various investments such as the opening of the Yongin campus and the industry-academia-government cooperation MOU, we will further strive to develop the domestic semiconductor ecosystem and nurture talent.”
VR Training Center Enhances Educational Efficiency
Lee Jong-myung, Vice President and Head of Process Development at Samsung Electronics Semiconductor Research Center, is delivering a congratulatory speech at the opening ceremony of Lam Research's Yongin campus on the 8th. Photo by Choi Seo-yoon
At the Korea Technical Training Center within Ram Research’s Yongin campus, education is conducted using virtual reality (VR) and digital twin technology. The training targets customers, in-house employees, and partner company staff. Since 2019, over 3,700 personnel have completed the training.
Kim Jeong-ho, Director of the Korea Technical Training Center at Ram Research, who was met on-site, explained, “VR allows up to eight people to practice simultaneously, greatly improving training efficiency.” He added, “Trainees handle equipment directly in a virtual environment, experiencing processes in the same way as with actual equipment, which helps them develop the ability to preemptively solve various issues that may arise during the process.”
Vice President Chason-yong of SK Hynix Future Technology Research Institute is delivering a congratulatory speech at the Lam Research Yongin Campus opening ceremony on the 8th. Photo by Choi Seoyoon
At the event, Jongmyung Lee, Vice President and Head of Process Development at Samsung Electronics Semiconductor Research Center, said, “The Yongin campus is not just a facility expansion but an important hub leading innovation in the future semiconductor industry.” He continued, “The advanced technologies and knowledge created here will greatly contribute not only to the semiconductor industry but also to national economic development, and Samsung Electronics will join this journey.”
Seonyong Cha, Vice President in charge of the Future Technology Research Institute at SK Hynix, said, “SK Hynix has collaborated in various fields such as equipment development, technological innovation, and cost competitiveness enhancement by utilizing the Korea Technology Center (KTC), Ram Research’s R&D center within the Yongin campus,” adding, “The Yongin campus will further strengthen cooperation between the two companies.”
The Yongin campus is located 20 to 30 minutes by car from Samsung Electronics’ semiconductor plant complexes in Giheung and Hwaseong campuses, and 40 minutes by car from the Yongin Semiconductor Cluster General Industrial Complex, where SK Hynix is scheduled to move in.
At the Center of the K-Semiconductor Mega Cluster
Through the opening ceremony of the Yongin campus, Ram Research has established itself as the first global equipment company within the semiconductor mega cluster that the Korean government is creating in the southern Gyeonggi area. The company plans to accelerate customer support and next-generation semiconductor solution development by collaborating with various partners through this campus. Tim Archer, Global Chairman of Ram Research, emphasized at the opening ceremony, “The Yongin campus will play an important role in the Korean semiconductor ecosystem.”
Since establishing its Korean branch in 1989, Ram Research has steadily expanded its operations. It currently operates R&D, logistics, customer service, and manufacturing facilities in Yongin, Osan, Hwaseong, and Pyeongtaek in Gyeonggi Province. The headquarters is located in Fremont, California, USA, and was founded in 1980. The company manufactures and sells semiconductor process equipment for etching, deposition, and cleaning.
Ram Research is considered one of the world’s top four semiconductor equipment companies alongside the Netherlands’ ASML, the U.S.’s Applied Materials, and Japan’s Tokyo Electron (TEL). It holds the world’s number one market share and technology in semiconductor etching equipment. Etching refers to the process of removing unnecessary parts after stacking multiple layers of materials on a wafer to form circuit patterns during semiconductor chip manufacturing.
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